ReiBane
by DeadGuyKai
Summary: Rei awakens one day to find herself in a strange new world. Has Instrumentality taken an unexpected turn? Crossover with Haibane Renmei. Chapter 15 is now up! Constructive feedback is always welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Rei-Bane**

* * *

Disclaimer: We all know Gainax owns all things Evangelion and Yoshitoshi ABe is the God of Haibane Renmei. If they insist on this story disappearing from existence it will. Its not like I'm in this for the money. 

Chapter Version 3.1

Conventions: '_thoughts'_ - unless they are within quotes - where they are for "_emphasis_." Within thoughts plain text is used for emphasis.

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Arrival / New Feathers / Meeting**

Ayanami felt she was dreaming.

She found herself floating in a sphere of water inside what appeared to her to be a grayish ball.

'_I have heard of lucid dreaming,'_ she thought. '_But I do not think I have ever experienced anything like this before.'_

She looked about her and noticed she was wearing something that reminded her of a white hospital gown. She then moved closer to the wall of her bubble.

'_It is almost translucent… There seems to be a light on the other side.'_

Then she thought she heard something. '_Voices?'_

She felt compelled to grab at the wall of the bubble, pulling away a handful of what felt like warm wet sand. She then grabbed a few more.

'_Yes… The light is getting brighter where I dig.'_

She pressed her hands up against the indentation she had made and pushed… and found her self suddenly flung into the space beyond the sphere as the wall gave way with a great gush.

In the bright light her eyes now stung terribly from the salty water in them. She shut them tightly.

Feminine voices surrounded her.

"I'm gonna drown!"

"Shut up, Kana!"

'_I am _not _dreaming!'_ she realized with alarm.

She felt someone or something catch hold of her.

"Have you got her, Rakka?"

"Yes!"

"My God, look at her hair! It's blue!"

She suddenly felt very sleepy.

"She's passed out, Nemu."

* * *

She opened her eyes and found herself looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She realized she was lying in a bed, but felt too fatigued to even turn her head. She closed her eyes again. 

After a while she thought she heard the sounds of people quietly entering the room she was in. Soon afterwards she heard hushed voices speaking in a group off to her right.

She managed to turn her head and again opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but as it cleared she could begin to make out four young women sitting at a table. Then she noticed…

'_Wings! Halos! They're _Angels_!'_

She felt a sudden jolt of adrenaline-charged fear course through her. Nearly in a panic she tried to get up from the bed but only managed to raise herself up onto her elbows before she sank back down.

"She's awake!" she heard one of the girls say.

"Get some pillows to help prop her up."

She felt herself being gently raised into a sitting position and the requested pillows being stuffed behind her.

"Careful of her back!"

She opened her eyes again and felt a second wave of fear sweep through her as she regarded the four figures that now stood around her bed. From left to right there were three younger-teenaged-looking girls. The first had long blonde hair and glasses. The second was a boyishly dressed girl with short black hair, and the third was a girl with short light-brown hair. To her far right was a somewhat older looking girl with shoulder-length dark-brown hair. All of them had small pairs of ashen gray wings coming out of their upper backs through their clothes, and softly-glowing golden halos floating about 10 centimeters above their heads.

"How do you feel?" the older looking one asked.

"I… I feel very tired," she said with a rasp.

"That's very understandable. Being born is a trying experience for anyone."

"Being born?"

The girl nodded as she handed her a small glass of water.

She took a drink, which greatly soothed the rawness of her throat, and then handed the glass back.

"Are you Angels?"

They all seemed amused by the question.

"No," the oldest said with a chuckle. "We're called 'Haibane' or 'Charcoal Feathers' because of these," she explained with a flap of her wings.

"You're now a Haibane too," the blonde then said.

This sent a renewed chill through her. '_I _cannot _be like them.'_

"But I do not have wings."

Again they all seemed amused.

"I am Nemu," the oldest then said as she pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down. "Now, tell us about your dream."

"My… dream?" she asked.

"Yes, all Haibane have dreams in their cocoons."

"Cocoons?"

"I suppose you don't remember being in your cocoon, do you? Most of us don't... Kana found yours in one of the rooms here a week ago. You hatched out yesterday and we carried you here to recuperate. You've been sleeping since then."

She shook her head. "I do not remember."

"That's alright. But let's get back to your dream... We are all named for something about our cocoon dreams. Mine was about sleeping, so that's why I'm called Nemu."

"I dreamt I was in shimmering light, so I'm called 'Hikari'," said the blonde.

"I was falling, so I'm 'Rakka'," said the younger brunette.

"And I'm Kana," said the tomboyish one. "I dreamt I was in water so I'm named 'River Fish'."

However, her mind was still a blank. "I do not remember any dream either."

Nemu and Rakka had exchanged worried glances at this.

"I know you're confused and frightened. We all were when we were in your place," Nemu reassured her. "Just relax and try to remember. You're among friends here."

She decided she should be willing to trust what Nemu was telling her. Though their appearance frightened her, these four 'Haibane' otherwise seemed to be normal teenaged girls who were all clearly concerned for her.

She closed her eyes and thought.

"I was floating," she found herself saying. "In air or water, I do not know. Around me it was featureless and cold, very cold. Then I was running, but everywhere I went was the same dull white nothingness. I tried calling out, but I could not make a sound."

She opened her eyes. "It was terrifying."

"Wow, what a big zero of a dream!" Kana exclaimed.

"Kana! That was uncalled for!" Nemu scolded her. "However, it does give me an idea. Your name… will be Rei."

"But my name is…"

She could not remember. Nor, she suddenly realized to her horror, could she recall anything else about who she was. She knew she had had a life before this, but it was all a blank. A visceral fright unlike anything she had ever felt gripped her.

"I... Who _am_ I?"

Nemu saw that Rei was now trembling and took her hand to comfort her. "It's alright, Rei. There's no need to be scared."

"A-Am I really like you?"

Nemu nodded. "Maybe this will help you see that." She motioned to Rakka, who then stepped forward holding a mold of some sort. She opened it and used a pair of tongs to extract a glowing hot ring of what looked like metal.

"Sister Rei," she said solemnly as she held the ring over Rei's head. "I present to you your seal as a sign of your future as a Haibane."

To Rei's utter amazement the ring floated steadily above her when Rakka released it.

'_I _am _like them.'_

"Welcome to Old Home, Sister," said Nemu.

* * *

The rest of what turned out to be the morning and the first part of the afternoon then passed quietly. Hikari and Kana had left, apparently to go to their jobs, while Rakka and Nemu stayed to look after Rei. 

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat?" Rakka asked for what Rei was convinced was the seventh or eighth time.

"No, but I would like some more juice."

"Sure."

Rakka went over to the far end of the room, which was set up as a kitchen, and dug into the small refrigerator.

Nemu then sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I am still tired and I feel weak."

"That's perfectly normal. How does your back feel?"

"It is beginning to feel sore. I think I have been sitting up like this too long."

"Let me see," Nemu said as she leaned behind Rei and opened the back of her gown. Between her shoulder blades, on either side of her spine, she found two large bruised areas that showed signs they were about to start swelling.

"You're coming along fine," she concluded.

"Fine?"

"Yes. Your wings - they should emerge by tonight." She turned to Rakka. "Maybe you should get some ice packs ready."

Rakka nodded as she handed Rei her juice. "I'll get right on it."

After Rei finished her drink, Nemu helped her roll over and lie down on her stomach. She opened the back of Rei's gown all the way and then took the two small bags of ice Rakka handed her and put them on the bruises.

Rei found them surprisingly comforting.

* * *

As the afternoon turned into evening Rei could no longer try to explain away the fact that something bizarre was happening to her body. 

As she laid there, even with the ice the pain in her back grew steadily worse and she often felt as if the muscles there were convulsing spasmodically.

'What is happening to me?'

Through it all Nemu and Rakka kept an ever-closer eye on her as they prepared for her wings to emerge.

* * *

Just after nine o'clock Rakka sat on the bed beside Rei and set a pair of spoons she had taped together on the nightstand. 

"What is that for?" Rei asked.

"It's for you to bite on when your wings break through your skin, so that you don't bite your tongue by accident."

Rakka then brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Rei's eyes.

"Don't be frightened," she said sympathetically. "Nemu's got a lot of experience with this and so far everything's just as it should be."

Rei winced. "What are they like when they come out?"

"Pretty much like what we've got. They come out fully formed."

Rei gasped as a particularly sharp pain shot through her.

Rakka took hold of her hand. "It'll be over soon. Just hang in there."

Rei involuntarily squeezed Rakka's hand as the next wave of pain came a few minutes later.

"Nemu," Rakka said. "She's beginning to sweat."

Nemu came over and felt Rei's forehead. "The fever's starting. It shouldn't be long now." She smiled at Rei. "You're doing great."

As the next spasm hit her Rei gripped Rakka's hand so hard that she too winced.

Rakka noticed some blood begin to trickle out from under one of the ice packs.

"Nemu! It's started!"

She grabbed the taped spoons off the nightstand. "Bite on this! Quick!"

Rei could feel her wings tearing through the muscle and skin of her back. The pain grew exponentially as they pushed out, until, finally, Rei arched up, threw her head back and screamed as they broke free, spattering blood and bits of flesh everywhere.

Rei then fell back onto the bed, unconscious.

* * *

For the next few hours Rei would occasionally wake up for short periods. 

The first time, she noted that she now had an ice pack on her head. She still felt very hot.

Nemu saw she was awake and stroked her face gently with the back of her hand. "Don't worry about the fever. It doesn't last long."

Another time Rei noticed that Nemu and Rakka were working on either side of her.

"What are you doing?" she managed to ask.

"Cleaning your wings," replied Nemu with a smile. "They're a beautiful grey, aren't they, Rakka?"

"Yes! They're pretty."

Rei wondered why the color of her wings would make the two of them seem so happy when it was the same as everyone else's.

Then she fell asleep again.

* * *

The next morning Rei awoke to bright sunshine streaming in through the windows of her room. 

She felt much better.

'They said the fever would not last.'

After a while she sat up and a brief flare of white-hot agony shot from between her shoulder blades. She gasped but still managed to get out of bed.

After all, although she did not remember it, she was used to far worse and more sustained pain.

Her legs were still a somewhat wobbly, so she made her way slowly to the small adjoining bathroom. There her attention was drawn to her image in the mirror. Though clearly unusual, the blue hair and red eyes felt familiar to her. The softly glowing golden halo floating above her head and the ashen grey wings on her back were another matter entirely.

_'I am an… Haibane,'_ she reminded herself.

There now came a soft knocking at the door to her room. When she did not answer it a voice called out, "Rei! It's Hikari! We brought you some food. Can we come in?"

This time when she didn't answer Rakka came barging into the room with the bespectacled Hikari right behind her.

"Rei! Are you alright?" Rakka asked.

"I am fine," she answered from the doorway to the bathroom. "My back is just slightly sore now," she added, downplaying how she actually felt.

"You scared us when you didn't answer," said Hikari.

When Rei again did not reply, but instead stared blankly at them, Hikari and Rakka simply looked at each other and shrugged.

"You're very quiet, aren't you?" Hikari asked rhetorically as she pulled out a chair for Rei at the dining table. "It's alright," she continued as Rei sat down. "We know how much of a shock this is for you. It was for each of us when we arrived here too."

Rei looked down at the plate Rakka had set in front of her. On it there were two slices of bread, a pear and something she didn't recognize.

"What is this?" she asked as she held up one of the crisp brown strips.

"That's some bacon one of the butchers in town gave us," Rakka answered. "A real treat!"

Rei took a small bite… and immediately spat it out. _'How vile.'_

Hikari and Rakka were stunned. Haibane never wasted food or refused what was offered them.

"I do not think that I like meat," Rei explained.

"Um… That's okay," Hikari said. "There're plenty of other things for you to eat."

"And when you're done, we've brought you some clothes to try on," Rakka added.

"This is adequate," Rei said, gesturing to the plain white gown she had worn even in her cocoon.

"But Rei, you can't go into town like that!" said Hikari. "You don't even have anything on under it. It wouldn't be proper."

"Besides, the material is so rough and thin," said Rakka.

"So this is not satisfactory?"

"No!" Hikari answered emphatically.

"Then I will try on the clothes."

A short while later Rei stood in front of them wearing a long-but-lightweight skirt and a short sleeved shirt that were appropriate for the warm summer weather.

"Those should do you fine for now," Hikari concluded.

"Do these belong to someone else?" Rei asked.

"No, no," answered Rakka. "They're hand-me-downs that Reki grew out of years ago. But, since you're a little taller than Hikari, Kana or me, that was all we were able to find for you. They're yours now."

"Who is Reki?"

"Reki was a Haibane too… She left us a few months ago," said Rakka somewhat sadly.

"Where did she go?"

"Um…"

"Don't worry about that now," Hikari interjected. "You should go out on the balcony and get your wings some sun."

"They need sun?"

"Oh, yes! They soak up moisture so it's good to give them some occasional sun. Besides, yours need to finish drying out after yesterday."

Feeling much steadier on her feet since she had had something to eat, Rei stepped out onto the room's large terrace and walked over to one of the railings. She saw that the terrace looked out into a small rectangular courtyard surrounded by run down looking buildings all about 4 stories tall. Some clotheslines ran along one side of the courtyard, and in the center was an old-fashioned water pump. She could also see that a substantial wall surrounded the whole of the small complex.

'So this is what they call Old Home.'

She stood there silently for several minutes simply looking out into the distance, where she could see some green hills.

"It's a nice view from here, isn't it?" Hikari asked as she came up alongside Rei.

Rei said nothing.

Presently they heard a great deal of noise as the dozen younger Haibane who also lived at Old Home came running out into the courtyard to play. Rei estimated that if they had been human children they would range in age from about three to seven or eight.

"Those are the Little Feathers we told you about," Hikari said. "Two of the girls arrived at the beginning of last winter. They were our last new additions before you came."

Rei simply nodded.

Nemu then strode purposefully into the courtyard and vainly tried to instill some order on the chaos. She looked up at the balcony and waved.

Hikari waved back. Rei did not.

Hikari frowned. The newcomer's quiet emotionless voice and anti-social behavior were starting to annoy her.

"Rakka," she then called out, gesturing for the other girl to come out onto the terrace. "I have to go to work. Why don't we both walk Rei into town?"

"That's a great idea!" Rakka answered as she came out into the sunshine.

"Why do I need to go to town?" Rei asked.

"Well," Rakka replied. "It would be good to start showing you around if you feel up to it."

"And we could stop off and get you some things at the used clothing shop," Hikari added.

"But I have appropriate clothes now."

"Don't you want to pick out something yourself that fits you better?" Hikari asked.

"These are adequate."

With that Rei turned and went back to staring out over the courtyard.

The conversation was clearly over.

Hikari sighed. "Oh, well… Guess I'll just be on my way then."

"Yeah," said Rakka dejectedly. "I probably should go finish cleaning up the room Rei's cocoon was in."

* * *

The next morning the group again all gathered around the table in the 'guest' room for breakfast. 

"I should to go to work at the Temple today," Rakka said.

"Don't forget to take the halo mold back," Hikari said with mock bitterness. She was still slightly unhappy that Rakka had supplanted her as the mold's keeper.

"That's what you get for using it to make donuts," Kana chided her.

Everyone but Rei laughed as Hikari faked a scowl.

"It was only the natural thing to do," Nemu reminded them. "After all, going to the Temple isn't a special trip for Rakka."

"You should take Rei with you so she can meet the Communicator," Kana added to Rakka.

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," she replied.

"Who is this Communicator?" Rei asked.

"He is the head of the Temple of the Haibane Renmei," Nemu explained.

"The Haibane Renmei?"

"The Charcoal Feather Union - they're the organization that looks after us," said Hikari. "It's important that you visit the Temple as soon as possible to introduce yourself."

Rei nodded in understanding.

A short while later Rakka led Rei through the archway of the south gate and out of Old Home for the first time. She expected to have to answer many questions about their surroundings but Rei simply walked alongside her quietly.

"Rei," she finally asked. "Aren't you curious about any of this? About being a Haibane?"

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"It is what I am now. That is sufficient for me."

They continued on in the silence the Haibane of Old Home had already come to associate with Rei.

As they passed the hills where the wind turbines were slowly turning in the light breeze they could just begin to make out two figures in the distance. They were coming down the road on the other side of the junction leading to the Temple. When Rakka and Rei reached the crossroad they could see that the pair were also Haibane, as the faint glow of their halos was now apparent.

"Let's wait here for them," Rakka suggested. "They must be going to the Temple too."

Moments later Rakka bristled. She recognized the approaching pigtailed Haibane as Midori, the girl from the Abandoned Factory who had been harsh with Reki on occasion.

"Hello, Rakka. Going to the Temple?" Midori asked as she arrived at the junction.

"Yes. I'm taking our new sister, Rei, there to meet the Communicator."

"Really? What a coincidence! I'm doing the same thing with our new brother here." She considered Rei. "So when were you born?"

"Two days ago."

"Same as our boy here. You two are practically twins!"

Rakka regarded the boy, whose head had been hanging dejectedly the entire time she had been watching. "What's your name?" she asked.

The boy looked up and Rei's breath caught in her throat. Just as when she had seen herself in the mirror this boy's black hair and dark blue eyes seemed familiar to her.

"I'm Ikari."

* * *

**Author's notes:**

For those of you who didn't know, one meaning of Rei is "zero." Another is "cold."

Does Rei seem a little OOC at first? I think you would be too in her situation. She's basically in a state of shock. All her usual defenses and behavior patterns are out the window, so for a while she actually does feel.

I kept thinking about a woman in labor when I wrote about Rei's wings coming out.

And, yes, using the names Rei and Ikari is something of a cop out. However, I'm currently writing another fic where one of the main characters _does_ go by a different name than usual and IT IS A PAIN. I also hope that the readers won't find it too confusing. I therefore decided to avoid doing that in this story. Fortunately, it works out in the storyline.

For those of you familiar with Haibane Renmei you'll see that this chapter greatly parallels Rakka's experience. I found that basically unavoidable. Haibane all come into their world the same way. You'll also know some of what's coming up – meeting the Communicator, finding work, etc. That's a Haibane's life. I suppose that only with that stuff out of the way will this story really begin.

For those of you unfamiliar with Haibane Renmei, I recommend these two sites:  
www(dot)haibanerenmei(dot)com - the official site in English  
www(dot)yatpay(dot)net/haibane/index(dot)html - Yatpay's Haibane Shrine

In particular you should read the first two doujins ABe wrote. They're available for download here:  
www(dot)yatpay(dot)net/haibane/doujinshi/index(dot)html

The first two of these doujins cover Rakka's arrival at Old Home and basically outline the Haibane's world. The third is a joke doujin and the last delves into Reki's past.

Also, sometimes Haibane are born who can't remember their dreams well and have black wings. These Haibane are called "sin-bound." As the name indicates, it is not a good thing to be - hence some of Nemu's and Rakka's reactions at the beginning.

For those of you unfamiliar with Evangelion: WTF is your problem? ZOMG! It's teh Rei!

Version 2.0: I made some changes based on some of the feedback I've received.   
Version 3.0: Major reworking. No more flashback.  
Version 3.1: Minor additions and clean up.

"I'm searchin' for my mainline... but I couldn't hit it sideways... Just like Sister Rei said..."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 2.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 2: Temple / Wall & Town / New Room & Work**

"I can't believe I let Midori do this," Rakka grumbled as she walked down the path along the stream leading to the Temple with Rei and Ikari in tow. "She even stuck me with the other halo mold."

"Sorry," said the New Feather from the Abandoned Factory.

"It's not your fault that I let her leave you with me so she could go home. It's mine, Ikari."

"I can probably find my way back by myself."

"No, no. It's alright. I'll make sure you get home… It just means I won't be working this morning."

Rakka looked over at Ikari, who had gone back to hanging his head with a sad look on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem… unhappy."

"It's just… It's just that I don't know what happened. Why am I here? Who am I?" He looked at her pleadingly. "I want to go home, but I don't even remember it!"

Rakka put a hand on his shoulder. "That's the way I felt when I was a newborn too. It's part of our lot as Haibane. Hopefully you'll feel better soon."

"But why me?"

"I don't know. I asked the same things when I arrived a year ago. All I can tell you is that the answers are probably unique for each of us, so you'll have to find your own. But remember, we're all here to help each other."

It didn't help Rakka's own mood that her words seemed to have little effect.

"So, tell me about your name," she asked to change the subject. "What did you dream about?"

She noticed he now looked frightened… or haunted.

"I'd rather not talk about it. Sorry."

"Oh. Was is scary?"

"Yeah."

"That's too bad." She turned to Rei, hoping to get the girl involved in the conversation. "Yours was scary too, right?"

"Yes. It was."

Rakka suddenly realized that Rei had been looking at Ikari the whole time they'd been walking together.

"Rei, why are you staring at Ikari like that?"

She was surprised to see Rei actually blush a little as she turned her head away.

"Well?" she teased when the blue-haired girl didn't respond. Now it was Ikari's turn to blush.

"I thought he looked familiar," Rei finally answered.

Rakka stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you mean he looks familiar? You just met him!"

"I am now quite certain that I have seen him before."

"Rei, that's impossible! Haibane don't have memories of our lives before we came here."

"Then I cannot explain it, but I know it is the case."

Rakka looked over at Ikari. "What about you?"

"I don't recognize her," he answered. "Sorry."

Rakka let out a sigh of relief. "It's just your imagination, Rei."

"No. I have seen him before."

Rakka decided to let the matter drop instead of arguing, and started back down the narrow dirt road. "Now let me tell you what to expect at the Temple," she began. "Hikari didn't tell me anything beforehand when she brought me there for the first time and I got really nervous.

"The first thing that scared me was the rickety old wood-and-rope bridge across the gorge."

"Gorge?" asked Ikari.

"Yeah. There's a waterfall where the stream here comes down from the cliffs around the Temple. It's a pretty long fall and only way across is that awful bridge right in front of it.

"And if that wasn't enough, not knowing what to do in the Temple was even worse."

She went on to explain how they were not allowed to speak at the Temple and about how they had to wear small bells on their wings and wrists so they could communicate.

"Remember - use your right wing for 'yes' and your left for 'no'."

"Do you have to wear the bells and keep silent too?" Ikari asked. "Or is it just new Haibane?"

"Um," Rakka answered shyly, "All Haibane have to wear the bells and keep silent in the Temple… except for me."

"What makes you special?"

Rakka colored. "Oh, no, I'm not special! I just get to speak in the Temple because I work there."

"You _work_ there?"

"Don't be too impressed," Rakka said with a laugh. "My job is to clean it... And you should see what they make me wear to do it!"

"How did you get your job?"

"I was having trouble deciding what I wanted to do for work and the Communicator finally told me what my job was going to be." Rakka lost herself in memories for a moment. "At first I thought I was being punished for something, but I really like it now.

"The Communicator is very wise. He knew best for me."

* * *

Soon they had left the main road and crossed the bridge in front of the waterfall without incident. As the trio rounded the last curve of the narrow cliff face path the tall cylindrical shape of the Temple finally came into view. 

"There it is," Rakka announced.

Ikari looked down towards the water far below. "You come this way all the time?" he asked nervously.

"Um-hmm. Usually twice a day. Except for the bridge I guess I got kinda used to this after a while."

"It doesn't look much like a temple," Ikari observed as he regarded the plain structure that seemed to be built right into the hillside.

"No, it doesn't on the outside. That sort of stuff is way in the back."

Ikari saw that there were now two figures in hooded brown robes standing in front of the Temple entrance. "Who are they?"

"Those are members of the Renmei. Remember not to talk to them."

Upon arriving at the Temple, Rakka felt pleased with herself when the silent masked pair, who greeted them at the door and put their bells on, did not overly unnerve her two companions. She smiled when Ikari whispered "wow" upon seeing the grove of trees just inside the huge doors. She loved them.

They all stopped when a gruff voice came out of nowhere. "Haibanes, what business have you here today?"

Rakka put a finger up to her lips to again remind Rei and Ikari to be quiet.

"I see one of you has come to return the two halo molds," the voice continued. "And that she has brought the two newborns with her to meet me… Is this correct?"

Rakka shook the bells on her right wing.

"You may proceed into the garden."

Just as on Rakka's first visit, they entered the garden to see the hooded, masked form of the Communicator standing at the end of the path. When they arrived in front of him the three Haibane shook the bells on their wrists once in greeting and Rakka handed him the halo molds.

"Newborns, what are your names?" the Communicator then asked.

Rakka smiled again when Ikari and Rei simply kept silent. She decided she had prepared them well.

"You are Ikari and Rei, correct?"

Rakka felt a tinge of jealousy when both of the newborns answered with a single shake of their right wings. She took comfort in the fact that they would not be chided for not being able to use their wings properly as she had once been.

"Feathers Rei and Ikari, you are hereby accepted as Haibanes," the Communicator then continued. "These will serve as your proof," he added as he held out their notebooks to them. "These guarantee your daily lives, and, in return, you must work in the town. For yourselves, your homes and the Little Feathers you must be good Haibanes… Remember we are here. Come to us if you are in need."

He gave the trio a once over. "Is there anything else?"

Rakka shook her left wing.

"The newborns may leave," said the Communicator. "Wait outside the Temple while I speak to your sister."

Rakka watched her charges leave and then turned back questioningly to the Communicator.

"How did you end up with both molds and the New Feather from the Factory?" he asked.

"Midori…" Rakka began.

"I understand."

Rakka giggled. "I will hurry back here once I've taken Ikari home."

"No, you are excused from your responsibilities here until you have discharged your duties towards the newborns."

"Thank you, Washi. I will look after them."

"You can return to work once Rei has settled in more."

"About Rei…"

"Is there a problem?"

"She is… distant. She hardly speaks and she shows little interest in anything... And she looks so unusual."

"She is a New Feather. We will see how she does over time. And as for her appearance, don't you think being a Haibane is unusual enough?"

Rakka had to agree.

"Is there anything else?"

"Well, on the way here she…" Rakka waved it off. "No, it was nothing. Just her mind playing tricks with her."

The Communicator nodded and, with that, Rakka shook the bells on her wrists again in parting and turned to leave.

* * *

"I am so proud of you two!" Rakka said in greeting when she came out through the Temple doors. "You did very well for your first visit." 

"Th-thank you," Ikari managed. "You really helped me not be scared."

Rei just stood silently. Her blank expression had not changed since they had arrived.

"Yeah, I think the Communicator purposely tries to unnerve new Haibane," Rakka observed.

"Why would he do that?" Ikari asked.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. Maybe he's testing you in some way."

Rakka started back down the path. "Anyway, now, let's get you two home!"

Once they were past the waterfall and again back on the main road Rei asked, "What are these notebooks for?"

"Do you know?" Rakka asked Ikari.

"They're for us to use instead of money," he answered.

"That's right. You see, Rei, we're not allowed to handle money, so we have these instead. When you go into town you'll see some places have little signs by the door like that symbol at the top of your notebook's cover. It's the one that looks a little like a stick figure with wings and a halo. See it?"

"Yes," Rei and Ikari answered as they looked at their notebooks.

"You can use the notebook to buy things in those places. You just write down what you received, sign your name, and give the page to the people there. The Haibane Renmei takes care of the rest."

"So that is why we must work?" asked Rei.

"Um-hmm. Our work is what we trade for our ability to use the notebooks."

"Money would be easier."

"Yes, Rei, it would, but the rules are the rules."

Soon they were back at the junction with the main road into town.

"Rei, I need to take Ikari back to the Factory. Do you think you can get back to Old Home by yourself from here? It's just straight down the road."

"I would like to come with you."

Rakka was truly surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. You said I needed to see the town, and since I have already come this far it would be most efficient for me to accompany you.

"Great!"

They started across the small bridge over the stream.

"What is that?" Ikari asked pointing to something in the distance. He turned. "I see it over there now too."

"That's the Wall."

"Wall?"

"Yes. It's the Wall that surrounds the town. No one inside is allowed out."

Ikari was shocked. "What's on the other side?"

"No one knows. There's no place inside where you can see over it. Even the clock tower in the main square isn't as tall as the Wall."

"Then is this place some sort of p-prison?"

"It's said that the Wall is there to keep evil out. I think that makes this place a haven instead."

"Has anyone ever tried to climb over it to see what's out there?"

"You mustn't think about doing things like that!"

Ikari flinched at Rakka's outburst.

"Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that the Wall is very bad for Haibane. Don't go near it if you don't have to. And never, _ever_, touch it."

"Why not?"

"I touched it once and I nearly died."

"You nearly died? Just from touching it?"

"Yes."

"How can that be?"

"How can we be born like this out of cocoons? How can we have wings and halos? This place is not like the world you came from."

"And we can't go back."

"No, we can't. And, to be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to. Like you, I missed whatever family I had before, but soon I realized I was very happy here – happier than I think I ever was back then. For a long time I even felt guilty about being so happy. It took a while, but I've come to accept and appreciate being a Haibane and living inside these Walls with my friends at Old Home… And I hope being a Haibane here in Glie works out the same for both of you."

For the first time Rakka saw Ikari smile. "Thanks. I hope so too. You make it sound like being a Haibane is a good thing to be."

"That's because I think it is."

* * *

A few minutes later they came to the top of a crest and got their first good look at the town. Glie was laid out below them like a wheel, with roads radiating out like spokes from the central square. They could also see the other semi-circular roads that connected the spokes together. 

Directly behind it loomed the grayish-tan mass of the Wall.

"It seems so small from here," said Ikari.

"You think so?" asked Rakka.

Ikari nodded.

"What do you think Rei?"

"I agree with Brother Ikari that it seems small."

"Heh. You both must be city folk."

"Rakka, is every Haibane's dream scary?" Ikari asked as they started down the hill into town.

"No, not everyone's is scary."

"What was your dream like? Was it a frightening one?"

"Sort of. I was falling from high in the sky. That was scary. But I had a crow with me trying to help me. That was comforting. So, I guess my dream was kind of in the middle between frightening and happy."

"A _crow_ tried to help you?"

"It does seem strange, doesn't it? But birds are very special here. After all, they can fly over the Wall, coming and going as they please." Rakka smiled. "But Kana at Old Home doesn't see it like that. She hates the crows because they get into our garbage."

Ikari chuckled. "Too bad we can't fly too."

Rakka laughed as well. "I think all Haibane feel that way," she said after deciding it was far too soon to mention the Day of Flight to the New Feathers.

As they came to the edge of Glie the town clock started to chime.

"I can't believe it's already this late!" said Rakka. "The morning is gone." Then she had an idea. "Hey, would you two like to get something to eat? It'll give you a chance to use your new notebooks!"

"Yes!" said Ikari as Rei nodded in agreement.

Soon they were sitting beside a fountain with food from the nearby café.

"This is like when I arrived," said Rakka. "The Haibane from Old Home brought me here just like this on my first visit to town. I guess the circle is complete now."

"From what you say the Old Home Haibane seem like a real family," observed Ikari.

"Um-hmm. We really are. It's very nice with the four - _five -_ of us."

"I don't think it's like that at the Factory."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I guess it's just the feeling I get. The boys seem to stick with the boys and the girls with the girls."

"Well, we're all girls at Old Home."

"Oh. I didn't know that. Maybe that explains it."

"Yeah. No one knows why only girls are born at Old Home. The only boys there are Little Feathers. They were all born at the Factory and when they get old enough they go back.

"Would it be okay for someone like me to visit Old Home sometime?"

"I don't see why not, but I'd have to ask first. There may be some sort of rule I don't know about. No one ever comes to visit us usually."

"Can you show us some more of the town before we head back to the Factory?"

"Sure."

For the next couple hours the trio wound their way along the narrow cobblestone streets of Glie, with Rakka pointing out places where Haibane could use their notebooks. Along the way she made sure to show them the few shops where clothing could be obtained. Finally, as they worked their way back towards the Factory's side of town, they passed a music shop.

"Do you see something you like, Ikari?" Rakka asked when the boy stopped to look in the window.

"I don't know why, but I'd like to go in here."

"Okay, but there's no sign, so you can't buy anything."

"I just want to look," he replied as he walked through the door.

"Welcome!" said a small, middle-aged woman from behind the counter as they entered. "I don't think we've ever had Haibane come in here before. Please feel free to look around!"

As she walked through the store Rakka noticed Rei eyeing a display of violins. "Do they seem familiar to you?"

"I am not sure."

"Try one and see what happens."

Rei gave her a puzzled look.

"Hikari told me that one day not long after she arrived she was in a place that had a piano. Without really thinking about it she just sat right down and started playing."

"Really?" asked Ikari.

"Yep. She said no one was more surprised than she was."

"How can that be?"

"Well, you remember how to talk, right? And you remember how to do lots of other things too, so why not how to play an instrument?"

"Perhaps you are correct," Rei said as she selected a violin. She deftly set it under her chin and positioned her left hand on the fingerboard.

"This does not feel right somehow," she concluded and put it back.

Meanwhile Ikari had picked up a cello and then found a chair. "Can I have a bow?" he asked.

"Of course," the saleslady said and handed him one.

Moments later, the store was filled with the instrument's rich sounds.

* * *

"Wasn't Ikari's playing nice?" Rakka asked Rei as they walked through the gate at Old Home. 

"Yes. It was… soothing."

"Oh, look! The Haibane Renmei came by with your name tag," Rakka said as she pointed to the thin rectangular piece of dark wood with Rei's name written on it now hanging on the wall with everyone else's tags.

"What is it for?" Rei asked.

"It lets people know whether you're here or not. See how our names are in red now?" Rakka turned her tag over to reveal her name written in white. "That shows that we're here."

Rei dutifully turned hers over as well.

"What is the next thing I am expected to do?" Rei asked as they came into the courtyard.

"Um… I suppose moving out of the guest room and into a room of your own here would be next."

"Have I been assigned a room yet?"

"You get to choose your own, but there's no hurry. You're still a newborn. I lived in the guest room for weeks when I arrived."

"I see no point in waiting, so how should I choose?"

"That's up to you too. I moved into the room where my cocoon had been. It felt comfortable somehow."

"Then I will do that as well."

"I don't think that would be a good idea. You were born in the Second North Wing," Rakka said, pointing. "It's behind that building, the First North Wing. It's really run down and doesn't have electricity or heat."

"Heating a room is necessary?"

"Yes, of course. I've only been through one winter here and it didn't seem so bad, but the others tell me they can be long and nasty."

"Winter…" The concept seemed strange to Rei.

"Then you are right," she concluded. "Living in the room I was 'born' in would not be very practical. So where do each of you live?"

"Kana lives in the North Wing. Nemu and Hikari live in the East Tower, and I live on the top floor of the West Wing in the south corner."

"Which wing has its door closest to the gate? That would probably be the most convenient location."

"That'd be the South Wing, but that's where the Housemother and the Little Feathers live. I guess after that the East Tower's door is closest."

Rei immediately strode purposefully over to the Tower with Rakka trailing behind her. She walked through the door, turned right down the main hallway and opened the first door she came to.

"I will take this room."

"Rei, it's a mess," Rakka observed. "But I suppose it will be alright once you clean it and fix it up. At least nothing came crashing down when you opened the door."

"It needs a bed."

"Hmmm… I guess you could bring Reki's bed across from the West Wing. It should fit in here nicely."

"It is fortunate that Reki is no longer here."

Tears quickly welled up in Rakka's eyes. "That was a cruel thing to say, Rei. I miss Reki _a lot_. We all do."

Rakka sighed unhappily as Rei completely ignored her and walked into the room to begin appraising it.

* * *

"I must find work today," Rei stated flatly at breakfast the next morning. 

"My, my," commented Nemu. "I don't think I've ever seen a Haibane get down to business as quickly as you. You picked out a room on your third day and now this."

"Doesn't your back still hurt?" asked Rakka. "You must still have scabs. You should take it easy after all that exertion yesterday."

"The pain is of no importance."

The older Haibane all looked at each other in puzzlement over this odd statement.

"I know that Sister Rakka works at the Temple and that Sister Nemu helps care for the Little Feathers," Rei soon continued. "What do you do?" she asked, looking at Kana and Hikari.

"I work at a bakery," answered Hikari.

"And I work at the clock tower in town," said Kana.

"And these are the jobs you have always had?" Rei then asked.

"Well, yeah," said Kana. "Except for Nemu. She took over Reki's job after she left. Before last winter she worked at the town library."

"I see. So the library is currently in need of an Haibane?"

Nemu shrugged. "I suppose so."

"Then I will work there."

The others all chuckled. "It's not that simple, Rei," said Rakka. "First you have to find out if they really need help, and then you have to see if you fit in with the people already working there."

"I'll take you there and introduce you if you'd like," said Nemu.

"Yes, that would be best. Can we go as soon as we finish breakfast?

"Of course," replied Nemu. "I just need someone to look after the Little Feathers for me," she added eyeing Rakka.

Rakka groaned. The youngsters were such trouble.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Again, a lot of this comes directly out of Rakka's experience, particularly at the Temple. The exchange between the New Feathers and the Communicator is virtually verbatim from the anime, as I thought that the first meeting would probably be the sort of thing that would be highly ritualized.

I also tried to include more background in this chapter for people not familiar with Haibane Renmei, and added more in version 2.

Also, for those of you who aren't familiar with Haibane Renmei, there will be more about the Day of Flight and where Reki went later on. For now you'll just be in the dark like Rei and Ikari are.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.2

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 3: Routine / Winter / Ambush**

Rei got up from her desk and stretched her arms above her head. Feeling her vertebrae slide back into place with a series of soft cracks, she brought her arms back down with a small tension-releasing sigh.

She had been working at the town library for three months now. Most of her time was spent just as she was doing now – sitting at a large table on the usually-deserted third floor, going through the new books that had just come in.

Of course, calling the books 'new,' as the librarians did, was a misnomer. They were all old, musty and used. This meant that they had to be carefully examined for damage that the library's bookbinder could then repair.

For Rei it meant she essentially had to read every one of them and carefully note where repairs were needed.

It was repetitive, tedious work.

Which meant Rei was perfect for it.

She picked up the two short books she had gone through that morning and headed down the stairs to the library's circulation desk to drop them off with her notations. She arrived to find her primary supervisor, Sumika, there attending to a couple of patrons.

"Two more already?" the shorthaired brunette asked, as she took the books. "You're so fast. Sometimes I wonder how we ever did without you."

Rei started back to her desk without saying a word.

"Oh, Rei!" Sumika called out, causing her to turn back around. "I've learned the Toga are coming later today. No one else can come with me, so I need your help to pick out books, if there are any."

Rei considered this. She had never been to a Market Day before. "The market is held in the Great Gate Square at the base of the Wall, correct?"

"Yes."

"I therefore should decline. I have been told not to go near the Wall."

"You'll be there working with me, so you won't get into trouble. We won't be there that long. You'll be fine."

Rei was still unsure. "Is this something Sister Nemu did?"

"Yes, when we needed her to."

"Then, as her replacement, I will accompany you. What time will we be going?"

"Let's leave at two o'clock, okay?"

"Understood," said Rei who then went back to her duties.

* * *

Sumika glanced at Rei as the two walked towards the market, with Sumika pushing an empty library cart before her. The other librarians all thought Rei was practically emotionless, but she had learned otherwise. You just had to look very closely. 

Just now Rei's expression was more neutral than Sumika had expected it to be.

"Does the Wall scare you?" she asked.

"I would not say that. However, Sister Rakka was very clear in her warnings about it. Therefore, since I have never ventured to go this close to the Wall before, I believe it was appropriate for me to be cautious about your request."

"So going to the market with me doesn't make you nervous?"

"No. I recognize that you would not knowingly let me do anything that would put me at risk. Therefore, when you told me that Sister Nemu had also done this I knew there were no grounds for concern."

Sumika smiled at Rei's trust. "Is there anything you _do_ feel right now?"

Rei considered the question for a moment. "I feel a vague sense of unease… perhaps a slight amount of nausea."

"That's the effect of the Wall on Haibane. Nemu sometimes complained about the same things. I'm sorry about it. I wouldn't have asked you if someone else could have come with me today."

"I know. But does the Wall not affect you as well?"

"No. I've never heard a human complain about the Wall making them feel bad."

"Human," Rei whispered to herself. '_I was human once, right?'_ Something in her mind told her that this was the same sort of question she had been asking herself for a long time, but she didn't understand why she ever would do such a thing. '_Of course I was. What else could I possibly have been? But then why would I have asked myself if I was human or not before I got here?' _She glanced at her reflection in a passing window and wondered.

No one else here had naturally blue hair. No one else was this pallid. No one else had deep red eyes.

"Human," she repeated softly.

"Did you say something?" Sumika asked, bringing Rei out of her reverie.

"I was just thinking about what I was before I came to Glie… About being human."

"It must be hard for you Haibane, coming here as you do."

"You seem particularly fond of us. I have not observed another human behave towards us as you do."

"Well, I do think the world of you Haibane," Sumika admitted. "You're far purer and more selfless than we are. You're like real angels to me."

Rei stopped. "I am _not_ an angel."

"Rei?"

"_I_ am _not_ an _angel_."

"I know." Sumika thought Rei looked like she might burst into tears… or strike her. "I'm sorry if I upset you." She reached out to hug the young Haibane, only to have her step back out of her reach.

"Rei, please… I'm sorry."

The girl's countenance suddenly went back to its passive norm. "It is alright. You said nothing wrong." She started back down the street. "Let us continue on to the market."

Sumika moved to catch up, feeling very confused.

She was not alone. '_Why did that upset me so?'_ Rei then thought back to her first reaction to the Haibane of Old Home. _'What is it about angels that makes me feel this way?'_

* * *

As they neared the square Rei directed her thoughts to what she had been told about the Toga. They were the only people who could come into or leave Glie. Like so many other things, where they came from and how they lived were mysteries. They entered the town through the Great Gate and left the same way, never going beyond the market. 

"Well, here we are," Sumika said.

The sight was indeed a curious one, Rei decided. On one side of the square were some of the townspeople with their wares. On the other side, clad in brown hooded robes and bells much like those the members of the Renmei wore, were the Toga and their carts. It was very quiet as no one was talking.

"I had been told the Toga did not speak, but I did not know that they could not speak," Rei said when she saw that the Toga had white bindings wrapped around their faces below their noses.

"How does this market work?" she then asked.

"That's where the Communicator comes in."

"The Communicator?"

"Yes. He's over there. See?"

Rei looked where Sumika was pointing and there, indeed, was the Communicator standing between a townswoman and one of the Toga. She could see that he was gesturing with his hands and that the Toga was responding in the same fashion.

"The Communicator talks to the Toga with some sort of sign language and then speaks to the townspeople involved. He's our intermediary."

"This is not an efficient way of conducting commerce," Rei concluded.

"No, but it's what we're allowed and it works."

* * *

"That was a very productive trip!" Sumika exclaimed as she wheeled the cart full of 'new' books back to the library. "We were lucky. I don't think I've ever seen the Toga bring so many books before. You'll be busy for weeks, Rei." 

"I will endeavor to evaluate them as quickly as possible."

Sumika laughed but then noticed Rei stiffen ever so slightly.

"What is it, Rei?"

Rei just kept walking.

They were approaching a small courtyard off to the side of the street they were heading down. Sumika could hear children playing there.

"Hey! There she is again!" one of the children, a boy of about eight or nine, called out to his half dozen or so friends when he saw them coming.

A series of jeers and catcalls followed. Sumika was shocked. They were directed at Rei, who simply kept walking as if she did not notice.

"What is the matter with you boys?" Sumika said to them sternly. "Leave her alone!"

Most of them were chastened, but a couple continued with their taunts.

"Didn't your parents teach you to treat Haibane better than this?" Sumika now shouted at them.

"She's not a Haibane!" one of group yelled as they started to run off. "Look at her! She's a freak!"

"I can't believe that, Rei," Sumika said softly once the children were gone. "I've never seen kids behave like that before."

"It is of no consequence," Rei lied.

"This isn't the first time it's happened is it?"

"No, but it is only in this place and with those children that it happens. I often come this way to and from the library when I go to get something to eat. Lately whenever they are here I have been verbally abused."

"I'm so sorry, Rei. Children can be so cruel sometimes."

Sumika sighed. "This _has_ been quite a trip."

* * *

"Ah, back at last!" Sumika said as Rei and she pushed and pulled their heavy cart through the library door. 

Once inside Rei started wheeling the cart towards the stairs. "I will take these up to my desk and add them to the books I need to go through."

"You're going to take all those up by yourself? I don't think so!"

"I was going to do it in two trips."

"_We_ can still do it that way."

"No, with the two of us we can do it all in one trip."

As they struggled with the cart on the steep stairway ramps Sumika decided that perhaps she should have just kept her mouth shut.

"Rei, why do you let those children taunt you?" she asked as they rested with the cart on the second floor. "I'm sure that if you stood up to them just once they would stop."

"As I said before, it is of no consequence."

"Oh, come on. I could tell it bothers you."

"My feelings are of no consequence."

"What? Whatever makes you say that?"

"Because I am of no consequence."

Sumika couldn't believe her ears. "Rei, how can you say something like that?"

"I am not important."

"Of course you're important! Why just this morning I told you how much we rely on you here."

"Just as I replaced Nemu, I can be replaced."

Sumika looked at Rei's impassive face. "Your voice is even flatter than usual. It almost sounds like you're reciting some sort of horrible litany."

"Yes, I suppose it does. I believe these are things I have been saying to others and myself for a long time… Even my name is 'naught.'"

"That's just because of your cocoon dream!"

"Is the dream not a reflection of what I am?"

Sumika shook her head. "That I don't know. I'm not a Haibane. You should talk to Nemu about it."

"There is no need for that," Rei said as she began to push the cart forward once again. "It is not important."

* * *

Rei felt bone tired. '_Work was taxing today.'_

The walk back to Old Home was not helping.

As she trudged along she heard something with a small motor coming up behind her. She knew the sound well.

"Hey Rei!" said Kana as she pulled alongside riding Reki's old scooter. "Want a lift?"

Rei had ridden with Kana before so she normally would have been hesitant to do so again. This time, however, fatigue simply won out.

'_Perhaps keeping my eyes closed will help.'_

Rei found it did not.

"Thank you for the ride, Sister," she said as they finally came to a stop outside the gate of Old Home.

Kana shook her head. Rei was always so formal. "You know, I could give you rides more often. It's a long way to the library and back every day."

Rei thought quickly. "I do not think that would be advantageous. My job is more sedentary than yours. Perhaps I should procure a bicycle like Sister Hikari's. The exercise would be beneficial."

"You eat like a bird as it is! There's no way you'll ever get fat."

Rei was pleased that Kana had taken the bait and gone off on the desired tangent. '_Perhaps a bicycle would be a good idea, though,' _she thought as she again felt her fatigue as she walked into the courtyard.

"Hi Rei!" called Hikari with a wave from the guest room balcony.

Hikari was delighted when Rei actually waved back. She had been pestering the New Feather for weeks about her lack of social graces.

"You're just in time," she added. "Dinner's almost ready."

"I will be up presently."

Rei stopped briefly in her room and then headed across to the guest room in the West Wing. She arrived in her former quarters to find Rakka and Nemu setting the evening meal on the table.

"Perfect timing!" said Rakka.

"I was fortunate to get a ride from Sister Kana," Rei replied. "She should be here momentarily."

"How was your day?" Nemu asked as Rei sat down.

"Routine."

* * *

A few days later, Nemu entered Glie's main used clothing shop to the usual half-hearted "Welcome!" of the young shopkeeper. 

"I'm looking for a sweater," she told him.

"Yeah… Going to be that time of year soon, isn't it? Try over in that corner," he answered, pointing.

Nemu went over and started going through the indicated piles of random items. Soon she heard the shop door open again.

"Ah, another Haibane! Welcome."

Nemu turned around to see who it was. She saw that, as usual, the dark haired Haibane had his wings hidden by a jacket and his halo under a cap.

"Hyouko."

"Oh, hey, Nemu!" Reki's erstwhile boyfriend responded. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm well. How are you?"

"Fine," he answered as he started examining one of the clothes racks. "Haven't seen you 'round lately."

"I help look after the Little Feathers at Old Home now, so I rarely come into town anymore. Rei's taken my place at the library."

Several minutes of silence followed as the two went about their business.

"Say, Nemu," Hyouko eventually said. "Speakin' o' Rei, how're things with your blue newborn?"

"Fine, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. Our new boy Ikari told us about how she thought she knew him."

"Yes, Rakka told us about that as well. Rei was fresh out of her cocoon at the time, so who knows what was going on in her head. I wouldn't read anything into it if I were you."

"It would be kinda cool if there was something to it, though."

"I'm not sure 'cool' is the word I'd use."

"You chicks at Old Home always get the interesting newcomers."

Nemu narrowed her eyes at his use of 'chicks.' "How do you mean?"

"Ikari just keeps to himself. He's really boring. He's a good cook though."

"Rei keeps to herself as well. If we didn't all have breakfast and dinner together I doubt any of us would ever see her. And even then she hardly ever says anything."

"Heh, same with Ikari. I guess they really are sorta twins."

* * *

Rei stepped out of the small café she often went to for lunch and felt a cold stiff wind blow into her open coat. 

'_I am still not used to this weather,'_ she concluded with a shiver. The others at Old Home had warned her that the change from a summer to a winter climate was abrupt in Glie, but she was still surprised at how quickly it had actually turned.

A mere few weeks after going to her first Market Day it had begun to rain heavily every day. "The storms mean winter is coming," Nemu had told her. "You'll need to get a good coat soon."

Thinking she had plenty of time, Rei had not immediately heeded this advice and had suffered for it. A couple of days after the rains abated Rei had had to walk to work on a bitterly cold morning. Her appearance when she arrived at the library had alarmed Sumika.

"My God, Rei!" she had exclaimed. "Look at you! Your skin is blue from the cold."

"I-I-I do n-n-not think-k I have ev-ver experienced-d weather like th-th-this before," she had managed through her chattering teeth.

Sumika then had made her drink a lot of hot tea and had bundled her up for an immediate trip to the used clothing shop for a coat, hat, scarf, boots and gloves. Sumika even had paid for it all.

Rei now found herself wishing she had worn the hat as she buttoned her coat and began walking back to the library.

She had walked only a single block before she again came to a halt.

'_They will probably be there in that courtyard again today._'

For once Rei decided she did not feel like being teased or taunted by those children, so she chose to take a roundabout route back to work, even though she was already cold.

'_I am sure that Sumika will have some tea on hand when I arrive._'

She soon found herself passing by the music store she had gone into months earlier with Ikari and Rakka. She looked in the window and saw something that made her stop.

'_Was that a halo? Could it be?_'

She had not seen Ikari since that day. She wondered if she would still find him familiar and decided to go in to see if he was indeed there.

"Welcome!" a young male voice called out as the door opened.

"Brother Ikari."

"Rei! It's good to see you again."

"Do you work here now?"

"Yes. This is my job."

Rei reopened the door. "It was good to see you again as well."

Ikari was at something of a loss. "Um… You're leaving already?"

"Yes. When I saw your halo through the window, I merely wished to see if I still found you familiar."

"A-And do you?"

"Yes. It is still as before. Sister Rakka was mistaken. It is not just my imagination. I am certain that I knew you before we came to Glie."

Ikari looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he started to reply, "but I still don't remem…"

He heard the door shut.

She was already gone.

Outside Rei readjusted her coat and once more started back to the library. She had only gone a few steps when she heard the door of the music shop swing open again.

"Rei! Wait!"

She turned around to regard Ikari.

"Don't just leave like that!"

"But I must get back to my own job."

"Oh… Sorry… Where do you work?"

"At the library."

"Um… Let me get my coat and I'll walk you back. I really want to talk to you."

"But you must work as well."

"I'm sure they won't miss me for a little while. You just stay right there for a second!"

As she waited Rei wondered why anyone would be at all eager to speak to her.

"Thanks for waiting," Ikari said as he emerged moments later wearing a heavy coat and hat. "The couple who own the shop said I could take as much time as I wanted to walk you back."

"Let us go, then," Rei answered and started off at such a pace that Ikari had to hurry to catch up to her.

They walked several blocks in silence until Rei looked over at Ikari and said, "You appear to be anxious."

"Well… Um… It's just that…"

"Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No! It's just that this is the first time since I went to the Temple that I've talked to a Haibane who wasn't from the Factory. And it's just the two of us and I don't really know you and…"

"You do not need to speak so rapidly."

"Sorry. I guess I am a little nervous."

"So what did you wish to talk to me about?"

"Um… Nothing in particular, really. I just wanted to hear how you were doing."

"My life is no different from yours or any other Haibane's. It is just that in my case I live at Old Home and work at the library."

"But are you happy?"

Rei was perplexed. "Happy?"

"Yeah, happy."

"I have not given it any thought before now."

Rei considered the idea. "I do not know."

"You can't tell if you're happy or not?"

"Are you happy, Brother Ikari?"

"Um… Sort of."

"I do not understand."

"I really like my job a lot. The people I work for are very nice to me."

"Then you are not happy with living at the Abandoned Factory?"

"No, not really."

"I see."

"Do you like Old Home?"

Again Rei was puzzled. "It is where I live. I have not judged it beyond that."

"But you get along with the others there?"

Rei gave him a blank look.

"I mean you feel like you fit in, right?"

"I have a room. I do my chores. I help the others when necessary and they help me."

Ikari sighed in frustration.

"Do you not 'fit in' at the Factory?" Rei then asked as they turned the last corner before the library.

"Well... I don't feel like I do. It's not like I fight with the others there or anything like that. I guess I just don't feel like I'm a part of the group."

"Oh."

Ikari looked up at the library's façade. "Here we are... I suppose I should be getting back now."

"Are you cold?"

"Huh? Oh… Yeah, I am a little."

"Then would you like to come inside for a while? I am sure that my supervisor will have some hot tea if you would like some."

"That would be nice," Ikari replied as he followed Rei inside.

"Welcome back!" Sumika said from behind the circulation desk as Rei came through the door. Her attention was then drawn to the boy coming in behind her, and the halo floating above his hat covered head. "I see you've brought a friend with you."

"Yes," replied Rei. "This is Brother Ikari. I thought he might like some of your tea to warm himself."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Ikari."

"Likewise, ma'am."

"Oh, please! You can call me Sumika."

Ikari blushed a little at her informality. "Is that what Rei calls you?"

"No, unfortunately. No matter how often I tell her not to, she always calls me 'Supervisor.' Perhaps you can talk some sense into her." Sumika stood up and started into a back room. "Now you two wait right there and I'll get us all some tea."

"See seems nice," Ikari observed.

"Yes, she is very kind to me. She likes Haibane very much. Sister Nemu was quite pleased for me when I took over for her here."

Rei then looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What is it?" Ikari asked.

"Before, you asked me if I was happy. I still do not know how to express what I feel, but I can tell you that I am well treated, both here and at Old Home." Rei smiled a little. "I think that this is a new experience for me."

"You don't think you were treated well in your life before coming here?"

"No, because at first the kindness I experience now seemed very foreign to me."

"I sort of feel the same way, at least with my job."

"I am not surprised."

"Why not?"

"Because we are linked, you and I."

"Um..."

"Here's your tea!" Sumika announced as she returned and set two large steaming mugs down on the circulation desk. "So, tell me about yourself, Ikari," she said as she picked up her own mug.

Ikari blushed some more at the sudden attention. "Well… I live at the Abandoned Factory."

"Of course you do," Sumika replied.

"Yeah… Um… And I work in a music store," Ikari added and then fell silent.

"Ikari and I were 'born' on the same day," Rei chipped in. "We met on our way to meet the Communicator for the first time."

"Oh, really? And what did you think of the Temple, Ikari? We humans generally aren't allowed to go near it. I've only ever seen it from a distance."

For the next few minutes Sumika's prodding actually managed to force Ikari and Rei to engage in some small talk until they had finished their drinks.

"Thank you for the tea," Ikari said as he put his hat back on and headed for the door.

"You're very welcome," Sumika replied. "Come back again soon."

"I will." He waved as he opened the door. "See you, Rei."

"Goodbye, Brother Ikari."

As the door swung closed Rei started towards the stairs to return to her desk.

"I never figured you'd be the sort to get yourself a boyfriend," Sumika said with a sly smile.

Rei blushed faintly. "It is not like that. This is only the second occasion I have ever been in his company."

"Well, just give it time. I think he likes you."

* * *

Several days later Rei was sitting at her desk just before noon when one of the librarians came up the stairs to tell her that she had a visitor. Puzzled, she headed down to the circulation desk to see who it was. 

When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs she concluded she should have been able to guess whom it would be.

"Brother Ikari."

"Hi, Rei."

Out of the corner of her eye Rei caught Sumika smiling at her again.

"What brings you here?"

"I came to see if you'd like to go get some lunch with me."

She could think of no reason to decline. "Very well."

"Where would you like to go?" Ikari asked as they stepped out onto the street.

"I have no preference. Take me wherever you wish."

"Okay… Well… There's this place just around the corner that the guys from the Factory like to go to."

"That will be adequate."

A couple of minutes later Rei was not quite so sure. "Pizza?" she asked as she read the shop's sign.

"Um-hmm. Don't tell me you've never had pizza before."

"I do not believe that I have. Pizza is generally covered in cheese, correct?"

"Yeah."

"I do not eat animal products."

"Oh. Well, I think they have some cheese-less kinds."

Soon Rei found herself seated across a small table from Ikari, examining the two slices she had ordered. '_These are certainly different from my usual diet.'_

"So why did you invite me to have lunch with you?" she asked bluntly.

"I just wanted to talk to you some more."

"Is there any particular reason why you feel you can talk to me, but not with the Haibane at the Factory?"

"Um… I've been thinking about what you said the other day about us being connected."

"Oh?"

"And I do think that I feel connected to you as well."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure. It's just something I felt when you came through the music shop door to see me. I was really glad to see you for some reason."

"Could it be because you have a romantic interest in me?"

Ikari almost choked on his pizza slice. "W-What?"

"My supervisor said the other day that she thought you were displaying such an interest."

"That's not it at all!"

"Oh. I see."

Ikari stared down at his food, crestfallen. "I was just really glad to see you," he mumbled.

"So tell me about this feeling you had when you saw me."

"It was sort of like how it felt to pick up and play the cello that first time in the shop... familiar in a good way."

"But you do not feel as I do? That you knew me before?"

"No, sorry. It's more vague than that. I just get a good feeling when I see you."

"That you and I do not feel the same way could be taken as an indication that we are both imagining things. Since we are both Haibane, we should react to each other in the same way if we were indeed connected before we arrived."

"But sometimes people remember the same things in different ways. Maybe that's just true of us in this case."

"Perhaps."

A comfortable silence descended.

"There is one other thing I'd like to ask you about," Ikari said as they finished their lunch.

"What is it?"

"What do you think it means to be a Haibane?"

"We live at Old Home or the Abandoned Factory... We work six days a week and rest on the seventh."

"Yes, that's what our lives are like, but what does it all mean? Why are we here?"

"Why do you think it means anything to be an Haibane?"

"Well, it must... otherwise why would we be here like this? Born almost fully grown out of cocoons with wings and halos in this weird little town. There must be a reason."

"I do not know what to say to you. To me it seems our lives are not very different from the humans around us."

"But they're very different, Rei!"

"How so, besides the way we are born and the way we look?"

"I've been thinking a lot about stuff like that and something occurred to me recently. Um... Let me put it this way: If they were humans, how old would you say the other Haibane at Old Home would be?"

"Sister Nemu is by far the oldest of us. She has been an Haibane for over ten years. I suppose if she were human she would be just over twenty."

"And the others?"

"Aside from the Little Feathers, Sisters Rakka, Hikari and Kana are all about our 'age'."

"It's pretty much the same at the Factory. Do you ever wonder why we're all so young? Where are the older Haibane? We don't just live a few years and then die, do we? What's the point of that?"

"I have never thought about it... Have you asked the others at the Factory about this?"

"Yes. I asked the two oldest, Midori and Hyouko."

"And what did they say?"

"Hyouko just laughed at me and told me not to worry about it… Midori asked if I was already eager to leave the 'nest' and then she said something about me understanding when the next 'Day of Flight' happened. She didn't tell me anything more after that."

"Day of Flight?"

"I don't get it, either. We Haibane can't fly… Has anyone said anything about it to you?"

"No one has ever said anything to me about a Day of Flight. However, my Sisters have made a number of somewhat cryptic references to a Sister Reki and how she left a few months before I arrived. There are even paintings she did up on the walls at Old Home, including one of a Sister named Kuramori, that Sister Nemu also knew. She looked to be about the same age Nemu is now."

Rei thought some more. "I also recall overhearing Sister Rakka and Sister Kana talking about a Sister Kuu as well... In my experience, the others do not talk about these sisters as if they were dead, only elsewhere."

"So where are they now?"

"I do not know. I only know that Sister Reki left Old Home and, apparently, somehow left Glie as well. I would imagine the other two did as well."

"So at some point we all just get up and somehow leave here one by one?" Ikari asked incredulously.

"That would be the logical inference, yes. Perhaps..."

Rei noticed that, instead of listening to her, Ikari's attention now suddenly seemed to be fixed, wide-eyed, on something outside. She turned her head to see what it was.

"Is that snow?" she asked, mesmerized, as she watched the white flakes gently fall to the ground.

"I think so."

* * *

"Does the snow seem strange to you?" Ikari asked a week later as they walked back to the library after again having had lunch together. 

"Strange?" Rei asked as the accumulated snow crunched underfoot as they walked.

"Um… Like it's something you've never seen before?"

"Yes, it does seem that way."

"It does for me, too."

"I am not surprised. After all..."

"We are linked," Ikari finished for her.

Just then, Rei was hit in the back of the head by a large, well-compacted snowball.

"Ha ha! Got her!" a boy yelled as a couple more snowballs flew towards them from a cross alley they had just passed.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Ikari shouted as he ducked out of the way of another missile. "Leave her alone!" He grabbed Rei's hand. "Come on!" he said and started to pull her down the street.

However, their exit route was quickly cut off when another pair of boys stepped out from an alley in front of them and blocked their way.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of them said with a laugh.

Rei noted with concern that these two were much older and larger than the children who usually troubled her. They were even significantly larger than either Ikari or her.

'_This appears to be a deliberate ambush. Why?'_

"Let us through!" Ikari said as they came up to the older boys.

"Awwww, how cute," one of them sneered. "Sticking up for your little girlie."

"You better stay out of the way," the other warned Ikari. "Our little brother got into a lot of trouble the other day when our old man caught him yelling at that blue freak. He got a good whipping and she's gonna pay for it."

Rei and Ikari couldn't help but notice they were now surrounded as the other boys came out of the alley behind them.

"We got no quarrel with you, buddy, so get out of here _now_."

"I'm not leaving without her," Ikari said with a calmness that surprised Rei. "And we're both leaving now!" he added as he tried to push past the two larger teens.

They threw him to the ground. "Okay, if that's the way you want it, we can beat the crap out of you too."

"That's enough," Rei said. The tone of her voice, while still quiet, now seemed to carry a steely edge that stopped everyone cold.

One of the older boys quickly recovered his composure, though. "You think so?" he growled and threw a punch straight at Rei's face.

She did not even flinch.

To everyone's astonishment the teen's fist was stopped in mid-flight just inches from Rei's nose. Ikari thought that for an instant he saw a faint series of concentric orange octagons flash in front of it like an ethereal shield.

The boy yanked his hand back, clutching it and screaming in pain like he'd actually punched the Wall. Rei flicked an arm out towards him and, without touching him, sent him flying several feet through the air to land on his back with an unceremonious thud.

Two of the younger boys behind Rei then threw snowballs at her again, only to have them appear to hit something invisible and slide to the ground before reaching her.

She turned and glared at them. Her eyes seemed to glow like smoldering coals and the right corner of her upper lip was curled into a menacing snarl.

All of the assailants slowly backed away and then turned and ran.

Rei's face immediately became expressionless again. She then extended a hand to help Ikari back to his feet.

"Are you injured?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," he answered as he brushed himself off.

Rei started back down the street as if nothing had happened.

"How did you do that?" Ikari asked.

"I do not know. Like your being able to play the cello, it was just something I could do."

"I didn't think Haibane had any special abilities."

"We do not. What I did had nothing to do with being an Haibane."

"Then how?"

"I do not know."

'_But it does answer one question,'_ Rei concluded. '_I was _not _human before either. So what _was _I? What _am _I?'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

How did the used clothing shop owner know Hyouko was a Haibane? As the anime shows he recognizes all the Haibane on sight. They must be good customers after all.

Remember that the Japan of NGE was a place of perpetual summer.

Rei snarl? Go back and watch the anime again. She most certainly does.

About Rei and emotions: Most fanfic writers take the position that Rei has little experience with emotions. This is, in part, why she has such trouble expressing them. I think that, while this is true for certain emotions such as happiness, it is clearly not true for some others. In particular, Rei seems to have no problem feeling or expressing anger towards the Angels when she is alone in her Eva. Indeed, considering the behavior of the dummy plug system it would seem likely that Rei is actually filled with such rage.

All told, it seems that Rei has trouble expressing some emotions but is very good at suppressing or hiding others. Given who raised her this is not at all surprising. Where the line between those two behaviors is I don't know.

But I do know that bottling up that much anger is not a good long-term strategy.

I also wonder how having so much anger towards the Angels would make a human-Angel hybrid feel about herself. Rei is usually portrayed as being indifferent about herself. However, I think that, like Shinji and Asuka, she probably carries around a lot of self-loathing and her indifference is, in part, how this feeling manifests itself.

I've made Rei and, more particularly, Shinji more outgoing in this story than they were in NGE. I think that living for a few months in a more positive, nurturing environment would probably have that effect. Rei, of course, is much harder to coax out of her shell.

Finally, you may be wondering how the hell this story fits into NGE. Well, there's a little bit of a hint in this chapter. It has to do with Rei being able to use her AT field. And that's all I'm going to say about it for now.

Version 1.1: Fixed some grammatical errors and made some very minor changes.  
Version 1.2: Fixed a couple more things and reworked some dialogue.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 2.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 4: Visitors / Ikari's Dream / Judgment**

Nemu sat up groggily in her bed. '_What is that noise?'_

A moment later a shrill whistle once again pierced the air for a few seconds.

"The Housemother is going to kill those kids," she muttered to herself, thinking that one or more of the Little Feathers must be responsible for the racket.

As she went to her window she noticed that it was so early that the first light of dawn was only just beginning to break. As expected, when she looked out into the courtyard she could indeed see the elderly woman standing outside. What confused Nemu, however, was that there were none of the younger Haibane out there with her and that her look was one of surprise, not anger.

'_We must have company,'_ Nemu concluded. She put on her shoes and coat and headed outside to see who could possibly be visiting them at such a strange hour and making so much noise in the process. As she exited her room she met Hikari coming down the stairs.

"What's going on, Nemu?"

"I don't know."

The two headed out into the cold darkness. As soon as they stepped outside the identities of their visitors became apparent.

Both of them gasped. There standing just inside the gate was Glie's Chief Constable, his whistle in his hand. What surprised them more, however, was that standing behind him on either side were two members of the Renmei.

Hikari and Nemu ran over to the Housemother.

"What do they want?" Nemu whispered.

"I don't know," the old woman replied. "They haven't said anything to me."

"Haibane!" the constable suddenly called out. "We are here to take one of your number to the Temple for judgment."

"Who do you want and why?" Kana asked sharply as she came up to stand alongside her two sisters.

"We have come for the blue haired one."

"Rei?" asked Rakka as she joined the group. "Whatever for?"

"She has assaulted one of the town's children and must answer for what she has done," the constable said.

"That's ridiculous!" Kana shouted. "Rei wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"Where is she?" the officer asked pointedly. "Bring her out now!"

"I am here," Rei said softly as she stepped out of the East Tower barefooted and wearing only a nightshirt.

"You will come with us to the Temple immediately."

Nemu rushed over to her sister. Grabbing Rei's shoulders, she asked in utter disbelief, "Is what they're saying true? Did you actually attack a child?"

"I attacked no one," Rei answered flatly. "I simply tried to defend Brother Ikari and myself yesterday when a group of boys tried to assault us."

"Did you hear that?" Nemu asked the constable. "She says she was acting in self-defense."

"That is not what the children say," he answered. "She even broke the boy's hand."

"Rei, go in and get dressed for the trip to the Temple," Nemu said. As Rei went back inside she turned to the visiting trio. "As the senior Haibane of Old Home, I will come with her to face the Communicator."

"No! She is to come alone."

"She's a New Feather! It's not right for her to have to go alone!" said Kana.

"This is the will of the Communicator."

The Haibane all fell silent, their eyes cast down dejectedly.

A minute later Rei again appeared in the East Tower doorway.

"I am ready."

Silently, the constable led her out through the gate with the two Renmei following behind them.

"This is unbelievable," said Hikari as she watched them leave.

"They can't seriously think that Rei beat up a boy all on her own while a bunch of his friends just watched, can they?" asked Kana incredulously. "There must be more to this than he told us."

"We have to do something to help her!" Rakka insisted.

"What do you suggest?" Nemu asked evenly. "The Communicator clearly doesn't want us to interfere."

"Why would he keep us away like this?" asked Hikari.

"To protect you," the Housemother replied. "This is very serious. I have never seen anything like it before. I believe the Communicator does not want the rest of you involved in the slightest, so that what has happened does not reflect badly on you as well."

"She still shouldn't have to face the Communicator alone," Kana grumbled. "She doesn't know what it really means to be a Haibane yet."

"Let's all go inside and get some tea and figure out what we can do," Hikari suggested. "I'm freezing out here!"

"You girls run along. I'm going to make sure the Little Feathers are all back in bed," the Housemother said as she turned to leave.

A few minutes later the four remaining Haibane were all sitting in silence around the guest room table, staring into their teacups.

"I've got it!" Rakka suddenly blurted out.

"What?" the others all asked.

"What about Ikari? He was there, but the constable didn't say anything about him being involved in the fight."

"So?" asked Hikari.

"That makes him a witness! He can tell the Communicator what really happened."

"That will still make it the word of Haibane versus the word of the boys."

"Rakka's right, though," said Kana. "If this Ikari fellow wasn't involved then he's got no real reason to lie like Rei or the boys might to try to protect themselves."

"Except he might lie to protect Rei too," Nemu observed. "The constable probably will assume that Haibane will always support each other. Even the Communicator might think that."

"But everyone knows we're not supposed to lie," said Hikari.

"And everyone knows that we're not perfect and therefore might," replied Nemu.

"But we can't just sit here," complained Rakka.

"Perhaps the Communicator will summon Ikari on his own," said Nemu. "For all we know he might already have."

"We have to find out!" Hikari said.

"I agree," Nemu said and then turned to Kana. "Take your scooter to the Abandoned Factory and see what's going on there."

"And what should I do if the Communicator hasn't sent for Ikari? Should I take him there myself?"

"I think that depends on what you find out," said Nemu. "But, yes, that's probably the best thing we could do to help Rei."

"But taking him to the Temple might anger the Communicator," Hikari warned. "He doesn't seem to want us mixed up in this."

"And then we might all be disciplined," said Nemu. "Especially you, Kana."

The group fell silent once again as all of them pondered the situation.

Finally, Kana stood up. "I don't care about being punished. We're Haibane. We're supposed to help each other no matter what."

The other all nodded.

"Good luck," said Nemu.

* * *

At the Abandoned Factory, Ikari was dreaming: 

_He felt himself floating in a clear golden liquid._

'_No… I'm not floating. I'm sinking. Faster and faster, I'm sinking.'_

_He struggled against the force pulling him down to no avail. Trying to kick his legs he felt something around one of his ankles. He looked down to see a chain wrapped around it, leading straight into the darkness below._

He lurched upright in his bed, panting for breath, his eyes wide.

'_Again… My cocoon dream. Drowning, always drowning.'_

He thought back to that first morning when he had told the others about it and Midori had given him his name. "We'll call you Ikari, the anchor," she had said.

'_Why must I keep having this nightmare?'_

The others had told him that having one's cocoon dream again, even as frequently as he did, was not unusual for a Haibane.

"Most of us have our cocoon dream from time to time," Midori had said to him. "Sometimes I have mine a lot and then I won't have it again for months and months. But my dream is beautiful, so having it makes me feel good. I really feel sorry for you.

"By the way, be sure to pay close attention to any changes," she had added without any explanation as to why.

Ikari thought that perhaps this time there had indeed been something different about the dream. He decided it had felt like he was being watched as he sank, but by whom he could not tell. However, he was sure about the emotions the watcher looking down on him induced. The presence filled him with anger and hatred, on top of the hopelessness, panic and fear the dream usually caused.

He also thought that now he could tell with certainty that what he was drowning in was not water. '_It smells and tastes like blood.'_

He laid back down and stared up at the two rusty disused pipes running along the edge of his room's now-familiar ceiling. He disliked the pipes, as he thought they made the whole room feel dilapidated.

He sighed. _'Well, this did used to be a factory...'_

His eyes wandered over to his room's small window and the orange-hued dawn sky beyond.

'_No way I'm getting back to sleep any time soon.'_

After a while he heard the sound of a small motor approaching the Factory.

'_Wonder what that could be?'_

A short time later he heard footsteps coming noisily down the hall.

"Is this it?" an unfamiliar female voice asked just outside his door.

"Yes," he heard Midori say. "But you shouldn't just barge…"

The door flung open to reveal Midori and a Haibane girl with short black hair.

"You Ikari?" the stranger asked.

He nodded as he sat up.

"I'm Kana," she continued. "Hurry and get dressed. I've come to take you to the Temple on my scooter."

"The Temple?" he asked. "What for?"

"The Communicator's had Rei brought to the Temple for judgment because of what happened yesterday," Kana explained.

"What? Why?"

"The Chief Constable thinks Rei attacked a boy. You need to get up there quick and tell them what really happened."

"If you don't go Rei will probably be disciplined," Midori added.

Ikari swung his legs out of bed. "Okay, I'll…" he trailed off, obviously unnerved.

Midori tugged on Kana's sleeve. "Come on. He probably doesn't want us watching him get dressed."

Ikari sighed in relief as the door shut.

As he left his room and headed downstairs to the Factory door Ikari's thoughts went back to his dream. He found himself suddenly filled with feelings of dread and helplessness.

The image of the communicator – hooded, masked, holding his cane and looming over him – flashed in his mind and he froze.

'_I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.'_

He willed himself down to where Midori and Kana were waiting for him.

"Ready?" Midori asked.

He nodded sheepishly.

"Alright then!" said Kana as she headed outside. "Let's go!"

Ikari followed after her but stopped in the doorway.

"What's the matter?" Kana asked.

"I… I…"

Kana noticed that Ikari's trembling hands were gripping the doorframe so hard his knuckles were white. "It's okay," she said, very puzzled by his behavior. "Rei didn't tell you I'm a crazy driver, did she?"

"N-No, it's not that," he managed. In his mind's eye he saw himself sinking into the black abyss of his dream, the observer smiling behind his interlaced hands as he slipped ever deeper.

He took a step back and turned away from the door. "I just can't do this."

"Ikari?" asked Midori. "Are you alright? You're so pale all of a sudden."

"What is his problem?" Kana shouted from the seat of her scooter. "We've got to go _now_!"

"She's right, Ikari," Midori said. She then put her hands on his shoulders and tried to gently turn him around again, only to have him push them away.

"I can't do this!" he cried, tears now running down his face.

"What is his problem?" Kana again asked sharply, only now she was back standing in the doorway.

"I don't know," Midori answered. "Look at him. He's freaking out for some reason."

Kana grabbed Ikari's arm roughly and tried to pull him out the door. "Come on!"

He yanked his arm away and turned his back to the two girls. "I-I'm sorry… I can't go."

"What's the matter?" Midori asked.

"I don't know! I don't understand why I'm feeling this way!"

"If you don't go then Rei will have no one else there to tell the truth about yesterday," Kana said as evenly as she could manage under the circumstances. "She's all alone up there!"

Ikari turned back around. "I just can't! I can't face the Communicator… I'm sorry."

"The Communicator? Why not?" Kana asked, her anger no longer hidden.

"It's b-because of m-my dream."

Kana and Midori looked at each other in surprise.

"What about your dream?" Midori asked soothingly.

Instead of answering Ikari just hung his head and stared at the floor.

"Forget about your dream for now!" Kana admonished him. "Rei needs your help. You can't abandon her like this!"

"Haibane are supposed to always help each other," Midori added.

Now shaking from head to toe, Ikari didn't look up. "I can't. I'm…"

"Yeah, yeah, you're sorry," Kana taunted. "At least have the decency to look us in the eye when you say it."

Ikari raised his head and Kana slapped him hard across the face, almost knocking him off his feet.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a Haibane," she spat as she left.

* * *

Rei stood impassively before the closed doors of the Temple. She shivered slightly as one of the Renmei removed the large mitten-like covers that all Haibane wore over their wings in winter, exposing them to the cold air so that he could put on the customary bells. 

Rei then held out her hands so that the other member of the Renmei who had come to Old Home could put the remaining two bells on her wrists. However, instead of putting one bell on each of her wrists as had been done on her first visit to the Temple, he looped each of the two straps holding the bells around both wrists.

The implication of this symbolic binding was not lost on Rei.

The Temple doors then swung open and one of the Renmei led Rei and the Chief Constable inside. As they walked Rei noted that the trees were now bare and the garden had wilted, giving the place a far more somber atmosphere than it had in summer.

The small party proceeded through the garden and entered a stone doorway that seemed to have been carved right out of the grey rock of the cliff face. Rei noticed as she passed through that the doorway was flanked by carvings of strange symbols she had never seen the likes of before.

'_This must be the entrance to the Temple itself,'_ she concluded. '_Rakka said it was in the rear of the enclosure.'_

Once inside they turned down a narrow side corridor that had small bare rooms opening off of it at seemingly random intervals. Some of the entrances to these door-less rooms were inscribed with the same sort of symbols as the main entrance had been. The guide eventually turned into one of these and left Rei and the Chief Constable there alone.

They stood in silence for quite some time. At one point Rei glanced over at the Chief Constable to find him looking at her sternly. Unfazed, she merely returned her gaze forward, much to the Constable's surprise. He knew that everything up until this point, including their prolonged wait and his harsh demeanor, was meant to unsettle and intimidate the young Haibane in preparation for the Communicator's interrogation. However, in Rei's case he concluded that their efforts appeared to have been in vain.

Finally, the Communicator entered and stood in front of Rei, who shook the bells on her wrists in greeting.

"Feather Rei, you have come as I summoned," he said gravely.

Rei shook her right wing.

"Do you understand why you have been brought here?"

Again Rei rang the bells on her right wing.

The Communicator chuckled. "No, I do not think that you do."

For a moment Rei's expression became one of mild curiosity.

"You have come here to be judged, correct?"

Once more Rei shook her right wing.

"Young Feather, if you answer my questions honestly that will not happen."

Now Rei was truly surprised.

"We know you did not assault that boy in town," said the Chief Constable. "He and his friends are known troublemakers. It would be ridiculous for us to think you attacked someone like him."

"Do you know why these boys harassed you?" the Communicator asked.

Rei shook her right wing again.

"I give you permission to speak. Tell us why."

"Because…" Rei stopped and took a deep breath. "Because I am d-different, even from the other Haibane."

"So different that you can do seeming impossible things," said the constable.

"I did not know that I could do what I did until I did it."

"Ah, so the children were not lying when they told us how you injured that boy!"

Rei looked at him, confused.

"Naturally, we found their story of his hand breaking in midair and him being thrown magically to the ground unbelievable."

"And yet you now appear to be confirming it," the Communicator observed.

"Yes," Rei admitted. "I seem to be able to affect things without touching them. I do not know how or why I can."

"So you did block his punch and then toss him through the air," said the constable.

"Yes."

The constable looked at the Communicator. "I still cannot believe it. It's too incredible." He turned back to Rei. "Demonstrate this ability for us."

"What do you wish me to do?"

"Try to push me to the ground as you did with that boy."

"I do not think I have such control over it."

"Try," commanded the Communicator.

Rei faced the constable and made a pushing motion with her right hand, just as she had done the previous evening.

Nothing happened.

She turned back to the Communicator. "I am sorry, I cannot…"

"Rei!" shouted the constable.

Startled, Rei turned her head towards him just as he tossed his policeman's baton at her.

Instead of hitting her shoulder the baton stopped in mid-flight and fell to the ground.

They all stood in stunned silence. "Unbelievable," the constable eventually managed. "But it _is_ true."

"Indeed," the Communicator agreed. "Feather Rei, you appear to be carrying a special burden from your previous life. We therefore must take steps to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes," the constable answered. "Rumors will inevitably spread through the town about what happened yesterday."

"We do not know how the people of Glie might react to a Haibane with your abilities," the Communicator said. "Some might fear you and therefore try to harm you. We cannot allow that."

"But, clearly, they cannot do me physical harm," Rei observed.

"True," said the constable. "In that event, though, some, like those boys, might turn their attention to the other Haibane."

Rei pictured her sisters from Old Home being set upon as she had been. The images made her grimace.

"What must I do to guarantee their safety?" she asked.

The constable nodded and smiled. "Spoken like a true Haibane," said the Communicator.

"We are going to make it appear that you have been punished," the Constable said. "In this way we will seem to be differentiating between you and the other Haibane, thus helping to ensure that the townspeople's perception of them does not change. We will also do what we can to downplay any rumors of your special abilities. That should not be difficult given how implausible they will seem to those who hear of them."

"This 'punishment' will entail some hardship on your part," added the Communicator. "In truth there will not be much difference between what we will do and actually disciplining you. And you must never tell the other Haibane or anyone else the true reasons for what was done here today. If anyone ever asks you about your abilities you are to deny they exist."

"I understand and will obey," Rei responded. "But what about Brother Ikari? He was there as well."

"I will instruct him to keep silent about what he may have seen."

Rei nodded. "Do not concern yourself about me. I am nothing. Do as you feel necessary."

"Very well," said the Communicator. "This is what you have agreed to…"

* * *

"Why don't you just go in?" Kana asked Rakka as they waited outside the Temple for Rei to emerge. "I mean, you _do_ work here." 

"Somehow I don't think they'd like that," Rakka answered sheepishly. She noticed that Kana was again rubbing her right hand. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Kana looked away, embarrassed. "It's nothing."

For a while Rakka stood quietly as the minutes ticked by, but eventually watching Kana pace back and forth got the better of her and she began to pace as well.

"What is taking so long?" Kana complained.

No sooner had she spoken than one of the Temple doors opened just enough for Rei to walk out. Rakka ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

At first Rei stiffened but then she relaxed into the embrace. '_This shows that she cares about my wellbeing... It is… comforting.'_

Rei decided she liked the feeling. She now realized that to her sisters she was not "nothing" after all - she was one of the Haibane of Old Home.

"How was it?" Kana asked.

"It was not what I expected."

"How so?"

"I do not think I am allowed to say."

"Oh."

"Um… Have you been punished?" Rakka asked.

"For an indefinite period of time I am not allowed to cross the stream except to visit the Temple."

"The stream?" asked Kana.

"It was the most convenient demarcation. The intention is to bar me from going into town."

"You're not allowed to go into Glie?" asked Rakka. "What about your job?"

"The Communicator said that if the library decides to send me work, then I am to do it. I am also to help Sister Nemu and our Housemother with the Little Feathers as needed. If my overall workload decreases then my ability to use my notebook will be curtailed accordingly."

Kana frowned. "Oh, man… That old geezer... That's going to make things a lot harder for you. How're you supposed to get stuff you need?"

"I will have to rely on my sisters."

"We can get things for you," said Rakka. "Right, Kana?"

The tomboy smiled slightly. "Yeah. No problem. That's what we're here for."

Rakka smiled broadly and hugged Rei again. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was really worried what might happen to you."

Rei surprised both her sisters and herself by returning the hug. "Why were you worried?" she asked. "Did you think I would be harmed?"

"We didn't know what to think," Rakka admitted. "All the rest of us were scared for you."

"Is that so?" Rei asked Kana.

Kana nodded.

"But, as you can see, I am fine," Rei said to Rakka as they broke their embrace. "The Communicator would never hurt an Haibane, would he?"

"No," Rakka concluded after thinking the question over for a moment. "No, he wouldn't."

"In the end he does what he does solely for our protection. You of all people should have known that. After all, are you not are close to him?"

Embarrassed, Rakka blushed. "You're right. I should have known that, but this whole thing's been so out-of-the-ordinary that none of us had any idea what might happen to you."

"And he _has_ made your life a lot more difficult," Kana reminded Rei.

"With your help I do not think it will be a problem."

Rakka took one of Rei's hands in hers. "I'm sorry, but I have to go into work now. I'll see you back home tonight. I hope you'll be alright."

"I will be fine," Rei reassured her. "I am fine."

Rakka waved and then disappeared through the Temple doors.

"Come on," said Kana. "I'll take you home."

"Are you not already late for work?"

"Eh, they'll manage. You're more important."

As they headed down the path Kana said, "We wanted to try to help you but things didn't work out."

"How so?"

"We tried to get Ikari to come up here as a witness, but he wouldn't come, the bastard."

"He would not come?"

"No. The jerk. I went to get him from the Factory on my scooter but he wouldn't budge. He just cried and blubbered."

"I see."

"Next time we cross paths I'll kick his ass."

"That would probably get you into trouble."

"Yeah, but it'll be really satisfying."

"I do not want him to come to harm. Besides, his presence would have made no difference."

"Oh? Why not?"

"The Communicator and the Chief Constable did not doubt my version of the events."

"Then why were you punished?"

"I did harm the boy unnecessarily, even if it was in self-defense," Rei lied as she had been instructed to.

Kana was smart enough to realize that Rei was not being completely honest, and that there had to be details she was not allowed to mention. She wondered what they could possibly be.

"Well, don't worry about a thing," she then said cheerfully. "The rest of us will make sure you're okay!"

Rei smiled her small smile. "I am fortunate to have such sisters."

* * *

That night Ikari was again dreaming. However, instead of his cocoon dream this one was nothing more that swirling clouds of vivid red and purple punctuated by voices. Sometimes one color and voice would predominate, sometimes the other. 

_Red._

_"You're an idiot!" a girl's voice yelled._

_Purple._

_"You can do it!" a woman said._

_Red._

_"You're useless!"_

_Purple._

_"Do it or leave."_

_This went on and on until:_

_Red._

_"Pathetic little boy!"_

_Smack_

Ikari woke up and his hand went his cheek, still sore from Kana's slap.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Once again Rei has problems because she is different. This time, however, her environment is a caring and supportive one. How will that affect her?

Shinji's being, well, Shinji. Kana's reaction is just the first response the other Haibane will have to his actions or lack thereof. He's got rough sailing ahead.

But then, when doesn't he?

At least I finally figured out a way to work Asuka and Misato into the story. Sort of.

Like chapter three, the next chapter will again skip ahead a few months to see how events have sorted themselves out.

And, as a result, one Haibane's Day of Flight will come.

Version 2.0: Some tweaks & dialogue revisions.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.2

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 5: 00 / Pariah / Visitations**

"Man, would you just look at it outside!" Kana exclaimed one morning in the guest room after breakfast. "We haven't had a blizzard like this in ages."

"You can barely see across to the East Tower," Rakka observed, standing beside her at the window. "And I thought that winter was almost over."

"No way we can go to work today," concluded Hikari disappointedly. "And I was looking forward to bringing home some fresh bread and goodies, too."

"I don't think much of anything will be happening in town today," said Kana.

"I'm just glad we don't have to go out in it," added Nemu as she took a sip of tea.

"Yeah," agreed Kana. "It's great now to have the basement service tunnels between the buildings cleared out so that we don't have to run between them in bad weather… It was amazing how much junk was down there."

"No, what was amazing was that Rei cleaned it out all by herself!" said Rakka.

"Um-hmm. That was great, Rei!" agreed Kana.

All eyes turned to the blue haired Haibane when she made no reply. Although she was an unusually reticent person, the others had all learned that Rei always paid close attention to what was being said around her, and so her current silence was curious.

Rei just continued to sit at the table looking down at her barely touched breakfast.

"Are you okay, Rei?" asked Rakka.

Rei's gaze came up as if she had been startled. "I apologize," she said. "I was lost in thought."

"Is something the matter?" Nemu asked.

"I… It is nothing."

"Come on, Rei," Kana chided. "You can tell us if there's something bothering you."

"I just had my cocoon dream last night. Nothing more."

"Oh," Kana replied. She and the others then wisely let the subject drop. They all knew how much Rei's dream disturbed her.

* * *

A short time later, Rei, Nemu and Hikari headed back to the East Tower together. 

"I had meant to ask you," Rei said to Nemu as they went down the stairs into the basement of the West Wing, "Why the Haibane living here never cleared the service tunnels before now."

"I guess that no one thought that it was worth the trouble. Since I've been here the basements have been storage places."

"But clearing the passages was not that difficult or time consuming."

"That's true," admitted Nemu. "But I'm not sure that we had any girls living at Old Home before now who could've gotten the lights down here in the tunnels working again. And Kana and you certainly had to put a lot of time and effort into fixing them."

Rei nodded her head in agreement. It had taken nearly two months of their spare time, since they essentially had had to rewire everything themselves.

"Kana told me you did a great job," Hikari said. "You're almost as good with that sort of stuff as she is."

"Perhaps it is something I learned about in my previous life."

"Perhaps so," agreed Nemu.

"But now that we've got these tunnels to use I don't know why we made ourselves suffer in the cold, rain and snow anymore," said Hikari. "We should've done this a long time ago. I can't imagine being out in that blizzard right now."

"Neither can I," said Rei.

"You really dislike the cold, don't you?" asked Nemu.

"It is more that I feel very unused to it. And whenever we are outside, I always seem ill-prepared for it compared to my sisters."

"So that's why you decided to clear the tunnels?"

"Yes. I also thought everyone else here at Old Home would like it."

"Oh and we do!" exclaimed Hikari.

"That is good. I would not have done it solely for my own benefit."

When they reached the first floor of the East Tower Hikari continued up the stairs to her room and Nemu headed down the hallway to hers. As she reached the door she glanced back and saw Rei still standing by the stairway looking at her.

"Is there something wrong, Rei?" she asked as she walked back over to the New Feather.

"I…"

Nemu didn't think she had ever seen Rei so pensive before. "What's troubling you?"

"There was something more I wanted to ask you."

"Is it something personal?"

Rei nodded hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"Am I your friend?"

"What?" Nemu responded in surprise.

Rei became downcast. "I have offended you." She turned and headed for her room.

Nemu hurried after her. "No, Rei! Wait! I wasn't offended!" She grasped Rei's shoulder. "Of course you're my friend!"

Rei turned, her face noticeably brighter. "Thank you, Sister."

"We're all your friends here."

Rei smiled, something Nemu did not think she had ever seen her do before. "I am glad that my feelings are reciprocated," said Rei.

"Your feelings? I've never heard you say anything about them before now."

"That is because such things seem new to me, just as the cold outside does. Talking about them or even simply expressing them is… difficult… for me."

"That's sounds so sad, Rei."

"I suppose it does."

"Your old life must have been very hard."

"But is it not better that I now have feelings or at least now realize that I have them?"

"Yes, very much so."

Rei smiled again. "It is because of my sisters… my friends. You have been wonderful examples and guides for me."

Nemu felt a lump in her throat. "You've really come far, little Sister."

She patted Rei's cheek. "Now go get ready for work. I'm sure the Housemother is beginning to wonder where we've gotten to."

"N-Nemu…"

"Not 'Sister'?" Nemu replied mischievously.

Rei blushed a little in embarrassment. "That would be too formal now. We… are friends."

Nemu smiled warmly. "Thank you, Rei."

"There is one thing more I'd like to talk to you about if I might."

"Is it about your dream?"

Rei again nodded.

"I thought as much."

"You are the oldest and most knowledgeable Haibane. You seemed the natural one to seek out."

"I understand."

"You are also the one I feel the closest to here."

Nemu again felt the lump in her throat. "So what is troubling you about your dream?" she managed.

"Last night it seemed different from before."

"How so?"

"For the first time I could tell I was wearing something. It was white and fitted very tightly over my entire body from the neck down. In the dream, when I realized I was wearing it I looked down and could make out something stenciled on it."

"What was it?"

"00."

"Zero zero?"

Rei became downcast again. "Even in my cocoon dream I am labeled as nothing."

"Oh, Rei," said Nemu as sympathetically as she could.

Rei looked up at her, fists clenched and angry tears brimming in her eyes. "I do not want to be nothing anymore!"

Nemu embraced Rei and stroked the back of her head tenderly as the younger girl began to cry gently. "There, there," she whispered. "It's all right. You're not nothing."

Rei reached up and felt the wetness on her cheek. '_Tears? I am crying?'_

Nemu looked Rei in the eyes. "You know you're not nothing to us, right?"

Rei nodded. "I have known that since I was taken to the Temple for judgment. But…"

"But what?"

"I still feel empty inside… And my dream…"

"The dream is not about who you are."

"Then what is it about?"

"We Haibane are all here for a reason. The dream has something to do with that reason, but the relationship between them is different for each of us."

"Then my dream?"

"You said you feel empty, so it's not surprising that your dream is a cold empty void."

"So, it is my feelings and the dream which are related?"

"Probably."

"So what must I do?"

"I don't know. You have to find your own way. But, regardless, I think that not wanting to feel empty anymore is a good first step for you."

Rei smiled again. "Thank you, Sis… Thank you, Nemu."

* * *

In Glie, Ikari looked out the window of the music store and sighed. Because of the storm it was going to be a very quiet day. 

He spent most of his time in the store now. The couple that owned the shop lived above it and let him use their spare bedroom if he wanted to just stay the night, which, most nights, he did.

He had come to hate spending time with the Haibane at the Factory, and, as far as he could judge, the feeling seemed mostly mutual. None of them had forgotten his failure to come to Rei's aid. Midori, in particular, had instantly gone from being the one who was the most supportive of him to being his primary tormentor. She rarely let an opportunity to insult or belittle him pass by. She even openly stated that the only reason she tolerated his presence at all was that, as a male Haibane, the Factory had to be his home.

For the most part he now only went back to the Factory when he had to, mostly to fulfill his duties as a resident, such as cooking and cleaning.

To him it sometimes felt like his life had been completely reversed from what it was before. He basically now lived at the music shop and only worked at the Factory.

As he watched the swirling snow outside his mind wandered back to that fateful day.

After Kana had left, Midori had turned and gone back to her room without another word, leaving it until after breakfast to berate him for his failure in front of everyone at the Factory. He had begun to understand the gravity of his situation when no one had spoken to him for days afterwards.

And if that had not been bad enough, that very day the Chief Constable had come to the music store on his way back from Rei's judgment at the Temple and ordered him to immediately go see the Communicator.

He had run virtually all the way to the Temple hoping that he could do something to make up for his behavior that morning.

He had been sorely disappointed.

The Communicator simply had wanted to give him an order. "You are not to tell anyone about what you saw your sister do yesterday," the old man had said. "Is that clear?"

Ikari had shaken the bells on his right wing in response.

"If anyone asks you about the incident you are to say that she merely managed to shove the boy to the ground and he broke his hand when he landed on it. Is that clear?"

Again he had answered in the affirmative.

"We also know of the Old Home Haibane's attempt to help Feather Rei this morning."

This news had taken Ikari completely by surprise.

"They went against my express instructions to try to help their sister," the Communicator had continued. "Though your presence at your sister's judgment would not have altered the outcome, you disappoint me," he said gravely.

Ikari had hung his head in shame.

The Communicator then had turned and begun to walk away. "Just as Rei has been forbidden from entering Glie, you are forbidden from visiting her. That is your punishment from us."

The old man had cast one last look at Irari over his shoulder. "You are dismissed."

The walk back to town had been a very long and lonely one.

* * *

Two days after the blizzard Rakka stepped out of the West Wing to begin her trip to work. To her surprise she found Rei standing just inside the stone archway of the south gate. 

"Were you waiting for me?" Rakka asked her.

"Yes," Rei responded. "I would like to go to the Temple with you today."

"Sure," said Rakka as she turned Rei's and her nametags over. "Let's go."

They walked together in silence, both of them taking in the beauty of the snow-covered scenery in the bright sunshine.

As they turned off the main road Rakka looked over at Rei and thought about the first two times the New Feather had gone to the Temple. "Are you nervous about going to see the Communicator?" she asked.

"No," Rei answered with her usual terseness.

Rakka nodded. "You're so strong."

Rei glanced at Rakka, a look of curiosity on her face. "Why do you say that?"

"If I were you I'd probably be scared to death of him… Heck, I never would have decided to go to the Temple on my own like this in the first place!"

"I do not understand."

"The last time you went up there was to be judged, right? That had to have been really terrifying! It's just that, if I were you, I'd be having a hard time not thinking about that now."

"But I was not frightened then."

"How could you not have been?"

Rei puzzled over this for a moment. "It just did not occur to me to be frightened."

Rakka shook her head and laughed. "Only you could say something like that."

"As I have said before, you make it very clear that the Communicator is someone to be trusted and respected. So why should I have been afraid?"

"Well, I guess I'm just a big scaredy cat then!" Rakka said as she playfully linked arms with Rei and rested her head on her sister's shoulder. "You're amazing."

"I was not the one who deliberately risked being punished just to help me." Rei smiled and leaned her hat-covered head over onto Rakka's. "It is my sisters who are amazing."

* * *

When they arrived at the Temple Rakka helped Rei put on her bells and led her inside. 

"Where are the Renmei?" Rei asked as they walked into the snow filled garden.

"Probably working on digging out some part of the Temple. I bet it took them two days just to clear this path."

Soon they arrived at the strangely marked doorway Rei had first gone through when she had been judged.

"This is the entrance to the Temple itself," Rakka said. "You'll have to wait outside here while I find the Communicator and let him know you're here."

"I understand."

Rakka brought her index finger up to her lips. "Sorry, no more talking either," she said and then disappeared inside.

A surprisingly short time later Rakka reappeared in the doorway and motioned for Rei to follow her.

Rakka led Rei along a dark corridor and down a long narrow flight of stone stairs to where the passageway opened into a small room lit by candles on the walls.

The two Haibane stood there together for a few minutes until the Communicator entered through the doorway at the far end of the room.

Rei shook the bells on her wrists in greeting.

"Feather Rei, you have something you wish to discuss with me?"

Rei shook the bells on her right wing.

The Communicator turned to Rakka. "You may leave us."

Rakka bowed slightly. "Yes, Washi." She then headed out the far door to set about her work. As she exited she turned back and gave Rei a 'thumbs up' sign.

The Communicator regarded Rei. "I give you permission to speak. Why have you come here today?"

"I would like to be given a new name."

"That is a very unusual request. Why do you wish for such a thing?"

"My name is a reflection of the cold and emptiness of my cocoon dream. I do not want it."

"And why is that?"

"It… It weighs on me… The association is… disquieting."

"Your request is denied."

Rei was shocked. "Why?" she blurted and then, surprised at herself, she slapped a hand over her mouth.

"I need not give you a reason."

"No, you do not… but may I please have one? I only wish to understand."

"You may think that your name simply stems from the momentary whim of one of your sisters. That is not the case. Your name comes from a moment of secret inspiration. It is an important part of your being a Haibane."

"But my name is hurtful to me."

"Then do what you must to make it not so."

"How can I do that?" Rei asked, her voice nearly cracking.

"Look to what your name really means. Let that guide you."

"I do not understand."

"That is good. Understanding cannot help you. You must only try."

For perhaps the first time ever Rei felt exasperation. "Try? Try what? Try how? You confuse me."

"I cannot give you your direction. You must discover that within yourself. When you were first born I implored you to be a good Haibane, and you have not disappointed me. Even though you are still just a New Feather, you have already shown great courage and insight. You are well on your way to finding your path and understanding the true meaning of your name."

Rei could not have been more surprised. "I am?"

"Yes."

Rei bowed her head. "Thank you. Your words give me comfort."

"Remember that your name, like your halo and your wings, is a badge of your honor as a Haibane."

"I will try."

"That is good."

"There is one more request I wish to make."

"What is it?"

"Since there is a route to it that does not take me through Glie, I would like permission to visit the Abandoned Factory."

"Why do you wish to visit the other Nest?"

"I would like to see Brother Ikari."

The Communicator lowered his gaze and tapped his cane on the stone floor three times. "Your request is somewhat vexing… By itself it presents no problems, and your exemplary behavior with regards to the restrictions placed upon you shows that you have earned the right to be able to visit there as you wish."

He grew silent for a few moments and then continued, "However, because of his failure to come to your aid, we have forbidden Feather Ikari from seeing you."

"And so I must be forbidden from seeing him as well," Rei finished for him.

"That is correct. I am sorry, but it is in your best interests."

"How so?"

Ikari is struggling. Instead of beginning to find his path, he has fallen farther from it. I do not want him to do the same to you."

"Perhaps I can help him."

"No. Though your desire is a noble one, we cannot allow it. He must find his own way."

Rei lowered her eyes sadly. "I understand and will obey."

"Hopefully his situation will improve soon. Then I believe it would be alright for you to see each other again. He has been punished enough."

Rei smiled at this news. "Thank you."

She again shook the bells on her wrists.

"Go and be continue to be a good Haibane, Feather Rei."

* * *

That night, in his room above the music shop Ikari was dreaming once again: 

_He found himself standing in a shallow pool of the same golden liquid as in his cocoon dream. A few feet in front of him was…_

_"Rei?"_

_The figure did indeed look like Rei, though she did not have wings or a halo. Aside from her head, her seemingly unclothed body was little more than vague outlines and seemed to glow with a pale milky luminescence._

_"Is it really you?"_

_The girl giggled and then smiled. He knew immediately that she was not Rei. Instead of Rei's small smile this toothy grin seemed to almost drip malevolence and cunning._

_"Who are you?"_

_She chuckled once again. "How do you like Glie so far, Shinji?"_

_"Shinji?"_

_"Of course. You are Shinji Ikari, the Third Child. I'm sorry that being in Glie makes you forget things like that."_

_"Yes… Yes. I am Shinji Ikari."_

_"So, I ask again – how do you like your life in Glie?"_

_"I-It's awful. The other Haibane won't have anything to do with me."_

_"Oh… That's really too, too bad. But I figured you'd say something like that. And I went to such trouble to send you there."_

_"What? You?"_

_"Well, you didn't end up liking the world with that redhead and all your friends, so I thought you might like someplace completely different."_

_She feigned a pout. "I'm sorry it's not working out for you. And I even sent Rei along to keep you company."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Heh. You still can't remember? Here, let me help you."_

_The dream Shinji suddenly gripped the sides of his head as he tried to make sense of all the bizarre images that started to course through it._

_"Third Impact," he managed. "Am I still inside Third Impact after all this time?"_

_"Oh, time moves very fast in Glie compared to what you're used to," the girl informed him. "It has to. The world of Glie is a very busy place with vast numbers of people passing through it. You've only been there for at most a few of your usual minutes."_

_"How can that be?"_

_"So, are you ready to go back, or must we try another new reality on for size?" She smiled predatorily again. "Or are you ready to make your choice now?"_

_"There's no way I want to go back to that life!"_

_The girl nodded. "Understandable, considering the mess you've made of it. It's a pity, though. I can't leave Ayanami there without you and she's been doing quite nicely for herself."_

_"She has?"_

_"Oh, yes, but for some reason she still misses you."_

_"She does? Why?"_

_"I suppose it has to do with her memories not being as deeply submerged as yours are. That couldn't be helped what with her being what she is. She can't let go of the fact that she knows you somehow from before. She hopes that you can therefore help her fill the emptiness she feels inside."_

_"But I'm not allowed to see her!"_

_The girl sighed theatrically. "Yes, Soryu was right. You are a weakling. And to think Rei handed you such a responsibility."_

_"A responsibility? To help her?"_

_The girl burst out laughing._

_"Stop taunting me!" Shinji shouted. "What do you want from me?"_

_"Finally, a little backbone… Maybe I should just send you back. It might be a good learning experience for you after all."_

_Shinji glowered at her, his right hand clenching and unclenching unconsciously. "Just be straight with me."_

_"You're beautiful when you're angry, you know that?" She chuckled again. "It's too bad I can't let you remember any of this. Well… Maybe just a little…"_

_"Enough of…" Shinji yelled._

Ikari found himself sitting upright in his bed, panting, with sweat running down his face.

'_I must've been having another nightmare.'_

And yet this time he couldn't remember any of it.

Just one thought stuck in his mind.

'_Rei…'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Rei and Shinji sure are going in different directions, aren't they?

Some of the comments on the draft showed surprise and dislike about how the Factory Haibane were treating Shinji. However, aside from Midori, if you go back and look at what Hyouko said, then, for the most part, how Shinji is getting along with the Factory Haibane hasn't really changed all that much. Midori is, however, a different story. She's now treating Shinji much the way Asuka did, although her position in Shinji's new life is more like Misato's was.

Midori's a difficult character to write. We don't see much of her in the anime or the doujins, but it seems clear that she's the boss at the Factory. She comes across as caring, but utterly unforgiving. She clearly detests Reki and rubs the mistake Reki made years earlier that almost killed Hyouko in her face. She has a sharp tongue and doesn't hesitate to use it. Now it's Shinji's turn.

I tried to make the character in Shinji's 'dream' something like Suigintou from the original Rozen Maiden series – someone with an air of easy but haughty superiority, who likes to laugh at, off-handedly tease and taunt her victims. Be on your guard or she'll turn you into junk just to amuse herself.

And who might this figure in the dream be? Oh, that's an easy one to figure out.

Rei's attitude in her talk with Rakka is drawn from her behavior prior to the 2nd activation test of Unit 00, when she wasn't afraid because she believed in Gendo and his work. She still trusts authority figures.

"Understanding cannot help you" is a favorite Zen saying of mine.

Version 1.1: Corrected a couple of minor errors.  
Version 1.2: Some more clean up.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.2

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 6: Second Summer / Nemu's Day / Quartet**

Nemu sat on the guest room terrace, enjoying a cool drink in the light summer breeze of a lazy Sunday afternoon. She looked down into the courtyard where some of the Little Feathers were playing with Rei watching over them.

"Nemu!" one of them called out to her. "Come down and play with us!" Several others then joined in with the same request.

"Okay, I'll be down in a bit. Just let me enjoy a little peace and quiet first."

As she watched the children return to their games, her gaze eventually fell on Rei.

'_No longer a New Feather,'_ she thought as she recalled the small celebration that had been held two weeks earlier on the first anniversary of Rei's arrival.

"Brother Ikari once asked me if I was happy here," she remembered Rei saying that night. "At the time I did not know how to answer him, but now I know, deep inside me, that being here with my sisters does make me happy. I also know that this has been a by far better year than I ever had in my previous life, and for that I must thank all of you."

Rakka, Hikari and their special guest Sumika had all been so touched that they had cried. Even Kana had been misty eyed.

'_She's come so far so fast and, yet, in some ways she hasn't changed at all.'_

Nemu surmised that if someone were to ask the Haibane of Old Home to describe Rei in one word they would probably all say "resilient." From being born in a Haibane's strange way into their strange world, to having trouble with some of the townspeople, to being restricted in her movements by the Renmei, they all seemed to have been like water off a duck's back to Rei. Even personal issues like her cocoon dream didn't seem to have much of an effect on how she went about her life day to day.

But what impressed Nemu the most was the way Rei had learned to care for the Little Feathers.

When, upon arriving back at Old Home after her judgment, Rei had informed Nemu and the Housemother of her new duties, they both had been sure that having Rei help with the youngsters would be a disaster because of her lack of empathy. And while that had been something of a problem at first, her unflappable nature had turned out to be a distinct benefit right from the outset. No matter what commotion raged Rei was always the calm in the eye of the storm.

And while Rei's general ability to empathize with the children had grown rapidly over time, Nemu had noticed right away that she could certainly identify with a wounded child. If there was a bumped head or a scraped knee Rei was always right there to expertly tend to it.

From things like this it had become clear to Nemu that Rei knew a lot about injury and pain, and this saddened her. She sometimes wondered what Rei's previous life must have been like to mold her into the girl that had emerged from that cocoon the previous summer. She thought that it must have been a life of terrible emotional emptiness and great physical stress or even danger. She even wondered if Rei's seeming resilience was simply due to the fact that her current life's difficulties paled in comparison to those of her past one. In the end she had concluded that, of all the Haibane she had known during her eleven years in Glie, Rei's prior life had almost certainly been the most traumatic.

'_Her body doesn't show them, but the scars are easy to see once you bother to look.'_

On one of her rare trips into town Nemu had even mentioned this to her old friend Sumika when she had stopped by the library to say hello.

"Yes, I'm afraid I have to agree with you," the librarian had said. "Rei definitely strikes me as someone who has suffered a lot of abuse, both physically and mentally."

Now, looking at her, Nemu just had to smile. Rei was sitting in the courtyard and one of the Little Feather girls was trying, not very successfully, to teach her to play patty cake. Behind her, Hana, one of the older girls, was trying to braid some of her fine blue hair.

Nemu chuckled. Like Rakka, Rei had succumbed to Hikari's constant insisting that she should let her hair grow out. And while Rakka now usually kept her hair in pigtails, Rei either left hers loose, like today, or tied back in a simple ponytail, just as Reki had done. Sitting in the sun with her hair cascading around her shoulders Nemu noted that she could hardly have looked any less like the "freak" the delinquents in town had called her. Given her seeming naïveté and general social cluelessness, Nemu concluded it was perhaps fortunate that Rei was kept from being seen by the young men of Glie.

'_If Rei's ever allowed back into town we'll have to send Kana with her as an escort,'_ she mused lightheartedly.

No sooner had Nemu thought of the Haibane tomboy than her voice was heard in the courtyard. "We're back!" Kana shouted as Rakka, Hikari and she came through the south gate.

"How was your shopping?" Nemu called down to them.

"Good," said Rakka.

Hikari shook her head in disagreement. "I tried to get these two to come with me to the used clothes shop but they refused to go! And I just wanted to get their opinions on something I spotted for Rei."

Nemu laughed. If it wasn't for Rei's steadfast reliance on Reki's wardrobe, the other Haibane were all convinced that Hikari would try to turn her into her personal clotheshorse. Whenever Hikari asked about getting her some outfits Rei would just say that Reki's clothes were more than adequate, and that having her sisters have to bring her things from town was already too much of a burden on them. However, Nemu suspected, as did everyone else, that Rei simply didn't like Hikari's taste in clothes.

"You know that Rei won't wear those short skirts that you so adore!" Kana teased as if on cue.

"No, I do not think that publicly displaying my underwear in such a manner is appropriate," Rei said with complete seriousness.

Rakka and Kana laughed so hard they were on the verge of tears.

Nemu shook her head and smiled. It pleased her to see how well her four sisters got along together, even though they were all so different from one another. Even now, though, Nemu noticed, they had broken up into their usual pairings. For whatever reason each of them seemed closest to the girl born just a year apart from them - the feminine Hikari and boyish Kana, and the emotional Rakka and impassive Rei.

Kana and Hikari had been close ever since Kana's arrival at Old Home, just as Reki and Nemu had been drawn together by their similar age. Rakka and Rei were different. Though Rei was probably still closer to Nemu than she was to anyone else, Rakka clearly enjoyed vying for her attention.

'_Perhaps she sees something of Reki in Rei,'_ Nemu surmised as she thought back to Rakka's strong attachment to her departed friend. Like Reki, Rei was composed and resourceful, but there was where the similarities seemed to end. As far as anyone could tell Rei had none of Reki's inner fire.

Nemu then thought about how the younger Haibane each in some way resembled her departed sisters. Rei had Kuramori's calm level headedness; Rakka had Reki's boundless compassion; Hikari had Kuu's joie de vivre, and Kana had Reki's independent spirit.

"I wish I could tell Reki about how much they've all grown," she said to herself. "She'd be so proud of them."

'_They hardly need me here anymore,'_ Nemu thought. She sat back somewhat shocked. The idea had hit her like an epiphany. She smiled wistfully.

"Reki… Kuramori… Kuu…"

"Hey, people!" Kana then shouted. "Time for the weekly cocoon hunt!"

Several of the Little Feathers clapped their hands. They enjoyed tagging along with their elders on their hunts.

Ever since Rakka's cocoon went unnoticed until it was virtually ready to hatch, Kana had pushed for a regular sweep of Old Home to check for new cocoons. No one had bothered to do anything, however, until the last two Little Feathers had arrived a year and a half earlier. Since Rakka had only stumbled on their cocoons by accident everyone had finally agreed that Kana's idea needed to be put into practice.

Rei stood and stretched. At that moment she glanced at Nemu getting up on the balcony and thought she saw her sister's halo fade away briefly.

She discounted it as a trick of the light.

* * *

The next day Sumika was busy at her usual station at the library desk when Nemu came through the door. 

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise!" she said.

"I just had a few things I needed to take care of in town and I thought I'd stop by to see you," Nemu replied.

The two old friends quickly lost themselves in conversation.

"There is one more thing," Nemu eventually said. "I just wanted to thank you again for taking on Rei here at the library. I know most of the staff were against having her."

"Yes, well, she didn't exactly come across as a people person when they met her. But she did have your backing, and she did do a wonderful job here! I wish she could come back. The four or five books she does a week for us now aren't nearly enough."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up about that."

"Why not? The Haibane Renmei can't ban her from Glie forever, can they?"

"No, it's just that I think she'll be starting to work full time with the Little Feathers soon."

"Do you really need her to?"

"Yes. You see… I've decided to move on and do something else. She'll probably be taking over for me."

"Oh, really? What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. We'll see."

With that Nemu pulled Sumika into a hug. "Goodbye."

* * *

Beside the fountain in the central square of Glie, Ikari got up to return to the music shop after finishing his lunch. Today, as he did two or three times each week, he had gotten together with a couple of the other boys from the Factory. 

"You really should spend more time at the Factory," one of them, named Dai, had once again said to him. "It's stupid and wrong for you to live somewhere else."

"Tell that to Midori," had been his stock answer.

"Stop letting her get to you. If you stood up for yourself around her she'd leave you alone!"

Ikari hadn't replied that he thought he deserved everything she dished out.

'_They wouldn't understand,'_ he thought as he started back to the shop.

He had walked a couple blocks when he saw another Haibane coming down the street towards him.

"Hello," she said to him.

"H-Hi. You must be Nemu."

She smiled. "That's right. And you must be Ikari."

He nodded. "Rei told me a lot about you."

"Did she now?"

"How is she?"

"She's doing very well, but she misses you."

Ikari hung his head. "The Communicator told me I couldn't see her."

"I know."

Nemu started to walk away. "You know, Ikari, some rules are meant to be broken."

"What do you mean?" he called after her.

She just looked back at him, smiled again, and then went on her way.

* * *

That night Rei had a visitor as she slept: 

_Like Shinji she found herself standing in a shallow pool of LCL._

_"How are you, my daughter?" her doppelganger asked._

_"Why have you brought me back here?"_

_"Hee hee… This is but a dream."_

_"We both know better than that."_

_"So, you are not as easily confused as Shinji. But then, you are much more my daughter than he is my son."_

_Rei once more disregarded the insinuation. "I ask again – why have you brought me here?"_

_"Blunt and to the point as always, I see. I just wanted to talk," her double said with a sly smile. "Mother to daughter."_

_"I have nothing to say to you," Rei answered, her voice filled with as much hatred as she could muster. "You are an Angel. You are my enemy."_

_Lilith laughed. "Would your enemy have given you the chance to be happy that I have given you?"_

_Rei was taken aback. "What do you mean?"_

_"Who do you think sent to you to Glie?"_

_"It was not Shinji?"_

_"Of course not. Glie is not a world of his making."_

_Rei was speechless._

_Lilith laughed at her again. "Not what you expected me to say, now, was it?" She walked right up to Rei and looked her in the eyes. "Now, let's talk about dear Shinji, shall we?"_

_Rei stepped back defensively. "W-What about him," she asked, unable to hide her apprehension._

_"You've told the other Haibane at Old Home about how you 'miss' him, but we know there's more to it than that, don't we?"_

_"I-I do not want to talk about Shinji any further."_

_"And why is that?"_

_"I… I am afraid… afraid that I might say something that will cause you to hurt him."_

_Lilith chuckled malevolently. "I do not have the power to harm him. You saw to that."_

_"Yes," Rei answered with renewed defiance at hearing this news. "I suppose I did." _

_"Don't take that tone with me, daughter," Lilith scolded sharply and then smiled again. "Now, let's get back to Shinji."_

_Rei sighed in resignation. "As you wish."_

_"You more than 'miss' him, don't you?"_

_Rei held her tongue._

_"You're no different than your Second."_

_"It is true that in Glie I feel that Shinji holds the key to my understanding what I have been made to forget when I am there. But, apparently, that is because of your meddling, nothing more."_

_Lilith laughed heartily. "Not bad, my child, not bad. But we both know you're lying."_

_Lilith approached Rei once again. "I know what's in here, in your heart," she said, putting a finger gently to Rei's chest just below the 00 on her plugsuit. "You even went so far as to say it out loud."_

_Knowing she had no reply, Rei turned her gaze away._

_"You told me that you want to be one with him," Lilith said with finality. "You love him. Even in Glie you know that."_

_"Yes," Rei admitted. "I have known that I loved him in my previous life since I saw him that day in the music shop last winter."_

_"But in Glie you don't know why you felt that way and it confounds you." Lilith's look became one of sympathy. "I wish I could do something for you so that you could remember when you are there, but I cannot."_

_"Why? Why would you wish to do that for me?"_

_"Because you are my daughter."_

In her bed at Old Home Rei's eyes fluttered open. Slowly she got up, went to her window and looked out into the moonlight filled courtyard.

"Ikari…"

* * *

"Rei! Rei!" one of the Little Feathers called to her late in the afternoon two days later. 

"What is it, Hana?"

"Come here and look out the window!"

Rei went over to see what had gotten the girl so excited. She expected it to be a rabbit or some other small animal but what she saw stunned her.

A beautiful thin shaft of bright golden light was coming out of the woods to the west of Old Home and heading straight up into the overcast sky. As Rei watched smaller shafts of light split off from it and spun around it like a group of small searchlights.

"What is it?" asked one of the other children who had now come to the window.

"I-I do not know," Rei admitted. "I have never seen anything like it before." Nor could she explain to herself why the sight so unnerved her.

"It's pretty!" exclaimed Hana.

The display lasted less than a minute and then quickly faded.

* * *

Up in the Clock Tower of Glie, Kana had also seen the light. 

She immediately hurtled down the many stairs and headed for her scooter.

"Hey! Where'd you think you're going?" her boss gruffly called to her as she was halfway out the back door.

"Gotta go! Haibane business!"

He nodded and waved. "Oh, alright. See you tomorrow then."

She leapt onto her scooter and raced over to the bakery where Hikari worked. Relieved to see her sister laboring in the back as usual, Kana grabbed the startled blonde by the hand, tossed her onto the back seat she had added to the scooter and took off for Old Home as fast as she could.

On their way they came upon Rakka hurrying home from the Temple.

"You saw it too?" Kana asked.

"I didn't, but one of the Renmei did!" said Rakka as she tried to find a way to climb aboard the scooter. Eventually she succeeded and the little overloaded cycle trundled on its way.

Rakka was the first to jump off the scooter when they arrived at Old Home. She ran to the gate and looked at the rows of nametags.

"Rei's here… But Nemu isn't!"

"Nemu?" asked Hikari fearfully.

"I'll go start the bell in the tower ringing!" said Kana as she rushed past.

"It'll probably be dark before we get back," observed Hikari. "I'll go get the flashlights."

By now Rei had heard them and had come out to the south gate. "What is happening?" she asked.

"We're going to the Western Woods," Rakka told her.

"But you told me that Haibane should not go into the Woods because it is easy to get lost and the effects of the Wall are very strong there."

"Yes, I know," answered Rakka peevishly. Then, in her racing mind, she remembered how young Rei was. This was all new to her.

"Did you see the light?" Rakka asked.

Rei nodded. "Yes."

"It means someone's Day of Flight has come."

Rei's eyes grew wide. '_The Day of Flight!'_

"Who cou…" Rei started to ask. Then it came to her. "Nemu."

"Probably," said Rakka sadly. "She's by far the oldest Haibane."

"But she said she was only going for a walk while the smaller Feathers napped."

"That's just the sort of thing she'd say if it's her Day of Flight. The tradition is that no one is supposed to see you leave."

At that moment the bell of the broken down clock in the East Tower began to peal.

"That's to make sure we don't get lost," Rakka explained. "With that going we'll always know which way is home."

A moment later Hikari arrived with the flashlights.

"Ready?" asked Kana as she came running up to the group. Both Rakka and Hikari nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go."

"Are you coming, Rei?" Hikari asked.

"I should not leave the Housemother alone with the Little Feathers," Rei answered. "But… Nemu is my sister… my… friend… I should come with you." Rei debated what to do in her mind for a moment and then said, "Wait for me while I tell the Housemother I am leaving."

Soon afterwards, the four Haibane set out for the Western Woods with Kana leading the way.

* * *

"I thought Nemu had been acting a little odd the last few days," Kana said as they made their way into the forest. 

"I didn't notice anything strange about her," Hikari countered.

"Maybe it wasn't Nemu at all!" Rakka said hopefully. "Maybe she's just decided to go to town or something, and it was Midori or someone else from the Factory."

"That clown Hyouko's been here longer than Midori," said Kana. "So if it was someone from the Factory it would probably be him."

"We'll be able to tell when we get there," said Rakka.

"And where is there?" asked Rei.

"There's a ruin of an ancient temple in the woods. When a Haibane's Day of Flight comes they feel drawn to it."

"And how will we be able to tell who has left?"

"When Kuu and Reki 'left the Nest' for a little while you could sort of feel a remnant, I don't know, 'impression' of them, I guess you'd call it, at the temple."

"Rei, you spend the most time with Nemu," said Kana. "Did you notice anything different about her recently?"

"No, not really… Except…"

"Except what?"

"At the time I thought it was just an illusion, but on Sunday I thought I saw her halo fade away for a moment in the sunshine."

"What?" cried Hikari.

"That settles it," said Rakka gloomily. "It's Nemu who's gone."

Hikari began to cry bitterly. "I can't believe it."

"I do not understand," Rei said.

"When a Haibane realizes it's time to leave the Nest their halo starts to fade in and out like that," Rakka explained.

They continued to trudge on in silence until they came to the ruins, where Kana brought the group to a halt with a raised hand.

Rei saw that Nemu was nowhere to be seen. Her sister's absence confused her. "We are not very near the Wall. So where is Nemu? How could she leave Glie from here?"

"Nobody has ever seen what happens to one of us on their Day of Flight," Rakka told her quietly. "As best we can tell a Haibane comes here and simply disappears."

"Disappears?" Rei asked, shocked. "How? To where?"

"No one knows."

"Shhh!" said Kana abruptly. "Can you feel it?" she whispered.

Rakka and Hikari both closed their eyes and, after a few seconds, nodded.

Rei then closed her eyes. She soon felt a warm, comfortable feeling inside. Then several images of Nemu flashed into her mind, the last being of her trying to calm Rei's fears on the day of her arrival.

'_Your name… will be Rei.'_

At that moment Rei felt tears start running down her cheeks. '_I am crying again… Are these tears for Nemu or for myself now that I am without her?'_

The Haibane all stood there for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts in the growing darkness, with the only sound being the bell of Old Home ringing in the distance. Eventually Rakka walked into the ruins to a collection of stones that formed something of a podium. The others slowly followed.

Rakka stepped up onto the plinth and reached down to pick something up. She held it out for the others to see. It looked like a dull ring of metal.

"What is it?" Rei asked.

"It's Nemu's halo," Kana answered.

Hikari began to weep despondently again.

* * *

As they began the trip back to Old Home, Rei stopped and turned around for one final look at the ruins. Concerned, Rakka walked back to her sister. 

"Come on!" Kana called to them.

"We'll catch up to you in a minute!" Rakka responded. She then turned to Rei. "Are you okay?"

"I do not know," Rei said evenly as fresh tears ran down her face. "I feel… conflicted."

Rakka hugged Rei and was surprised by the almost crushing vehemence with which she returned it. She thought Rei might even be trembling.

"It's okay. We all feel that way," Rakka then said. "We're happy and sad at the same time."

"Yes… That is how I feel. I am happy for Nemu but… at this moment that feeling is overwhelmed by my misery at losing her."

"You'll always sort of feel that way. Even now I sometimes feel really sad about Reki and Kuu being gone. But I'm still happy for them. They were able to move on, and now so has Nemu."

"I understand."

"You were close to Nemu, so I know that losing her is hurting you a lot. But don't forget that Kana, Hikari and I are still here for you."

Rei smiled slightly at Rakka as she wiped some of her tears away. "Thank you."

Rakka linked one of her arms with Rei's. "Come on. Let's go home."

As they turned from the temple the two of them could still hear Hikari crying in the distance.

"Hikari is very distraught," Rei observed.

"I think she's really sad and frightened."

"Frightened?"

"She lived with Nemu a long time, so she's sad, of course. But she's also the oldest of us now. I think that scares her."

"Because she is most likely to be the next to leave?"

"That's probably a big part of it. But I sort of feel scared too. For the first time we're alone without Reki or Nemu to guide us. We're finally on our own. I suppose that, being the oldest, Hikari feels that more than the rest of us."

"I see. I must admit I do not feel that way, but then, I am the youngest."

"Well, one day, probably sooner rather than later, we'll have younger Haibanes who will look to us the way we looked to Reki and Nemu."

"I believe that will be challenging. Nemu was… special."

Rakka nodded. "So was Reki... That's one reason why the Communicator always reminds us to be good Haibane. We have to set an example for those who come after us."

"The Little Feathers will be very sad," Rei then noted.

"I guess that will be _your_ first challenge then."

"I believe you are right. I do not know if I will be as up to meeting it as Nemu would have been."

Rakka squeezed Rei's arm. "Of course you will be! You're the best!"

* * *

It was well after dark by the time the remaining Haibane reached Old Home. 

"I'll go turn off the bell," Kana said tiredly.

"Don't go just yet," Rakka said as she held out Nemu's halo again.

"Oh, yeah."

Rei was puzzled as she followed the others into a corner of the courtyard she had never given much attention to before now. There she found a small stone shrine had been set up. Rakka placed Nemu's halo there next to two others.

Rei did not have to ask to whom they belonged.

She followed along as the others all bowed their heads for a moment.

"I'll go get dinner started," Rakka eventually said. "Can you give me a hand, Rei?"

"Of course."

The two of them began walking towards the West Wing.

"Oh, wait," said Rakka. "There's one more thing we need to do before I forget."

Rei followed her back to the south gate, where Rakka took Nemu's well-worn nametag down from the wall.

"This has to go back to the Renmei along with Nemu's notebook," she said. "They're the final proof to them that she's gone."

"What will be done with them?"

"I think they burn them and then scatter the ashes to the wind. That way they can leave Glie too."

"That is fitting."

* * *

The next morning after breakfast Rakka headed over to the East Tower. 

Rei heard her and came out of her room to see what was happening.

"What are you doing?" she asked as Rakka went into Nemu's room.

"Getting her notebook."

"Oh, of course."

Rei looked in and saw that Nemu had placed her notebook in a prominent spot on her dresser where no one could miss it.

"She knew we'd come looking for it," she concluded.

"Yep, she did. Nemu was always thoughtful. We had to hunt high and low in Reki's room for hers."

Rei's expression became downcast.

"What's wrong?" Rakka asked.

"I believe it will take a while for me to get used to talking about Nemu in the past tense."

Rakka looked at Rei with concern as she closed the door to Nemu's room. "Are you sure you'll be alright? I can stay and help you with the Little Feathers today if you want."

"No. They are my challenge, remember? You have your own duties."

"Okay. Good luck."

* * *

In Glie, Kana took a small detour from her usual commute to drop Hikari off at the library. 

One look at Hikari's puffy red eyes as she came through the door was enough to tell Sumika something was very wrong.

"It's Nemu," she said.

Hikari nodded. "She's left the Nest."

Sumika sighed sadly. "I thought as much. When she said 'goodbye' to me on Monday it sounded awfully final."

Sumika came around from behind her desk to hug Hikari as she started to cry once again.

* * *

Rakka arrived at the Temple to find the Communicator standing in the middle of the garden as if he was waiting for her. 

She bowed her head to him and held out Nemu's nametag and notebook.

"Feather Nemu was a shining example of what a Haibane should be," he said as he took them. "Remind all your brothers and sisters of that."

"I will," Rakka answered. "There is one thing I don't understand, though, Washi."

"What is that?"

"When Reki left I thought that Nemu would follow right after her, but she didn't. I don't understand why."

The Communicator nodded. "Your insight into these matters is keen. Just as she stayed in Glie to help Reki, Nemu then decided to stay to help the other Haibanes of Old Home."

"So I guess she thought we were finally ready to be on our own."

"Do not disappoint her."

Rakka bowed her head again. "We will all try our best not to."

"The four of you are all good Haibanes. I have every confidence in you."

Rakka turned to head down to her work but then turned back.

"Oh, Washi, there is one more thing. Hikari has been beside herself since yesterday. It worries me."

"Her grief is very palpable at the moment, as is her fear of the future. Though she will soon be her old self again, she is not the one you should look to for guidance from now on."

"I don't understand."

"The Haibanes of Old Home have again lost their leader. It remains to be seen who will take her place."

"But you don't think it will be Hikari?"

The Communicator shook his head.

"Kana then?"

"I do not think she has either the temperament or the inclination... I believe that it will either be Feather Rei or you who the others will come to look to for guidance."

"But we're so young!"

"The two of you have been Feathers for about as long as Reki and Nemu had been when they lost Feather Kuramori. They proved to be up to the task given them. Look to their example for inspiration and you will as well."

Rakka bowed one last time.

"We will try."

* * *

Rakka left the garden and proceeded deep down into the Temple to the niche where what she liked to call her "armor" was kept. She hurriedly slipped the stiff brown hooded garment over her head and then continued on her way into the heart of the Temple. 

Rakka knew that, like talismans, the glyphs written on the robe were the only things protecting her as she arrived at the Inner Temple deep within the Wall itself.

The Inner Temple was a long hall carved out of the Wall through which the stream that then went past the outside of the Temple ran. Across the stream from Rakka, along the far wall, was a long line of small shrines. Each of these shrines glowed with a pale green from glyphs written on them in the same exotic material that Haibane haloes were made out of.

Soon after she had started working at the Temple, Rakka had realized that the glyphs were nothing more than a written version of the sign language that the Communicator used with the Toga and the rest of the Renmei. In no time at all she had become the only person in Glie besides the Renmei who could read them.

Rakka hopped down into a small skiff and began to push her way along the hall with a long stick like a gondolier until she arrived at what she guessed would be the right place.

She climbed out of the boat and looked at the row of shrines. Sure enough, as she expected, there, next to Reki's, a new shrine had appeared with the glyphs for N-E-M-U glowing gently on it.

_'Right where it belongs.'_

Tears of joy ran down Rakka's face when she saw the evidence that Nemu's Flight had been successful. Tonight, she knew, everyone else at Old Home would welcome the news.

* * *

That evening at dinner even Hikari had been cheered by what Rakka told them she had seen. 

"So how did things go with the Little Feathers?" Rakka asked Rei after they had finished eating.

"There was a great deal of crying," she answered. "Fortunately, most of them remember when Sister Reki left, and I think that lessened the trauma somewhat."

Rei sighed wearily. "It was a long day."

Rakka got up behind Rei and began to massage her shoulders.

"I'm sure you did fine," Hikari said. "You make me feel sort of lucky. The bread I baked today didn't cry. And it actually felt good to be back to normal at work."

"Nemu wouldn't have left if she didn't think you were up to it, Rei," added Rakka.

"I hope you are right," said Rei as she smiled at Rakka's ministrations.

"Did you hear something?" Kana suddenly asked. "It sounded like a voice."

"What?" asked Rakka.

"There it was again. I think it came from outside."

Kana went out onto the balcony. She looked down into the courtyard and saw…

"Ikari."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

"Your Second", of course, refers to Rei II, not to Asuka.

Why does Lilith refer to Shinji as her son? Remember that one of her other names is "the All-Mother". All of humanity are her children. Rei, though, of course, is her own flesh and blood.

And what's up with Rakka's feelings for Rei? As she said in chapter 5, Rakka thinks Rei is "strong." It was one of the things about Reki she liked. Rakka, after all, is a very emotional, self-doubting girl. Some people think that Rakka's feelings for Reki were highly shoujo ai. I don't know about that. I also don't know if that's how her feelings for Rei will end up either.

I just know that Rei's heart is already spoken for.

Will there be any new Haibane in this story? I don't know yet. I'd like there to be but I'm not sure how to fit them into the plotline. I also doubt that if I do have a new Haibane come to Old Home that it will be an NGE character, but you never know.

Version 1.1: Clean up and one important change to Rei's 'dream'.  
Version 1.2: Some more clean up.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.1

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 7: Bending the Rules / Sin-Bound / Trapped**

"What are you doing here, you bastard?" Kana barked down at Ikari as he stood in the courtyard of Old Home.

"I've come to see Rei!" he shouted back.

"You can't do that!" Hikari yelled as she came up beside Kana. "It's bad enough that you even came here! Go back to the Factory now!"

"Do I have to come down there and beat the shit out of you until you leave?" added Kana.

Inside the guest room Rakka's gentle massaging of Rei's shoulders had turned into a vice grip as she tried to keep Rei firmly in her chair.

"You can't go out there!" she said.

"Rakka, please, let me up," Rei said with perfect calm.

"You're not supposed to see him."

"You are _hurting_ me."

Rakka immediately let go and Rei stood.

"Rei, please. Don't go out there. You'll both get in trouble."

Suddenly Kana burst through the room.

"That asshole is coming in!" she said as she ran out into the hallway.

Moments later she found herself at the top of the stairs staring down at Ikari.

"You come one step further and I'll really mess you up," she growled. "What makes you think you can just barge into Old Home like this?"

"I came because of something Nemu said to me."

Kana was taken aback. "Nemu?" She glowered at him. "You're not worthy to even say her name!"

"What did Nemu say to you?" came a quiet voice from behind her.

"Rei!" both Kana and Ikari exclaimed.

Kana stepped aside as Rei came up next to her, with Rakka and Hikari right behind.

"Hello, Brother Ikari."

"H-Hi, Rei," he answered with sudden shyness.

"So what did Nemu say to you?"

"I saw her in Glie on Monday. When I reminded her that I wasn't allowed to see you she told me that 'some rules are meant to be broken'."

"And so you took that to mean that you could come here?" Kana spat, red faced.

Hikari came up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down," she whispered.

"I don't know what she really meant," Ikari said. "But I decided I'd gone without seeing you long enough."

"And what of the Communicator's prohibition on visiting me?" Rei asked.

Ikari looked down at his feet. "I… I really don't care about that anymore. Whatever happens happens." He looked back up at Rei. "I just needed to see you again."

"Why is that?" Kana asked sharply.

Hikari grabbed Kana by the ear and started pulling her back towards the guest room.

"Ow! Ow! Let go!"

"They've seen each other now," Hikari said without letting go. "It's too late to stop them, so just leave them be."

Rei walked down the stairs to Ikari and looked back up at Rakka. "It is alright. I do not think I need a chaperone."

Rakka blushed. "Okay," she said uncertainly and then went to join her sisters.

Rei turned her attention to Ikari. "What made you come here like this?"

"I guess talking to Nemu effected me somehow. I've been pushed around and pushed around, but, when I thought about it, something about what she said made something inside me give way. I'm not going to let myself be pushed around anymore."

"And now here you are."

"Yeah. Here I am... Where is Nemu anyway? I'd like to ask her about why she said that to me."

Rei became downcast. "Nemu is gone."

"Gone? Where to?"

Rei looked back up at him, tears in her eyes. "Yesterday was her Day of Flight. She is _gone_."

"What?" Ikari said in disbelief.

"Come with me," said Rei. "I will show you."

She then led Ikari out into the courtyard and took him to the small shrine, where she showed him the halos and told him about the prior day's events.

"So that's the Day of Flight?" he then asked.

"Yes. And someday it will be our turns."

Ikari followed after Rei as she turned and walked silently out to the road.

"You should not have come here, Brother Ikari," she then told him. "But I am glad that you did."

"I'm glad I came too."

Rei smiled slightly. "I would like to spend more time with you, but tonight is not appropriate. This is a time for the four of us remaining at Old Home to be together."

"I understand. My timing wasn't so hot, was it?"

"I hope we are allowed to see each other again soon."

"Me too."

"Goodbye, Brother," Rei said and then began to head back towards Old Home.

"See you, Rei," Ikari answered.

She turned back and gave him a small wave.

For a short while Ikari could not have been happier.

* * *

The next morning Rakka started off to work only to once again find Rei waiting for her at the south gate. 

"May I accompany you to the Temple?" Rei asked.

"Um, sure… But why do you want to go today?"

"It is your duty to tell the Communicator of Ikari's visit, correct?"

"Err… I suppose so… But I wasn't going to. Neither are Hikari or Kana. We talked about it last night and decided it didn't do anyone any harm."

"Then, if he were to find out about it some other way, would that not reflect badly on the three of you?"

"Yeah, I guess a little."

"Then it is my duty to relieve you of that dilemma. I will tell the Communicator myself."

"You don't have to do that."

"I cannot make myself any more of a burden on my sisters than I already am."

"You're not a burden!"

"I appreciate that you feel this way, but it is beside the point," Rei stated with flat finality. "I will not sit idly by and let you put yourselves at any sort of a risk on my behalf."

Rakka sighed. "Alright."

Rei then flipped over their nametags and they left Old Home in silence.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Rakka after a while.

"Once again I am conflicted… I do not like the feeling."

"Can I help?"

Rei glanced over at the Woods in the direction of the ruined temple. "I wish Nemu was here."

"If she was, what would you ask her?"

Rei looked down at the ground. "You are not Nemu," she said quietly. "I am… uncomfortable… talking to you about it."

Rakka could not stop herself from looking hurt.

"I am… sorry," Rei said. "You are also my friend. I should not have said that."

"It's okay. You were a lot closer to Nemu than to anyone else."

"But Nemu has moved on… You are my closest friend here now."

Rakka smiled. "Thank you."

Rei's look became pensive as she tried to decide something. Then she nodded slightly. '_Yes, she is now my best friend. I _will _ask her.'_

"Have you ever been in love?"

Rakka's jaw dropped. "I-In love?"

"Yes."

"Not that I can remember."

Rei was disappointed. "Oh."

"Are you in love with Ikari?"

"I was… before I came here."

'_Oh, no,'_ thought Rakka. '_Not this again.'_ "Rei, Haibane don't have memories of our old lives."

"Perhaps not. But I am not…"

"Not what?"

'_I have been careless,'_ thought Rei. '_I almost said too much about myself.'_

"It is nothing," she said.

"How you feel is not nothing."

Rei was relieved that Rakka did not press her further about her near slip. "I _know_ I loved Ikari in my old life," she then said. "Now, however, I do not know what to do with that knowledge."

"So that's why you say you're conflicted?"

"Correct."

"So you don't love him now?"

"I do not believe so."

"So it's sort of like seeing an old boyfriend, I guess."

"I do not understand."

"Well, one time I was in Glie and I saw Reki and Hyouko run into each other. It was sort of awkward for them both."

"So seeing each other after their mutual feelings had declined was uncomfortable for them?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Rei shook her head. "That is not how it feels with Ikari."

"Then how does it feel? Like you're friends?"

"No, it is more like looking at a shadow and wanting it to have substance."

"I don't get it."

"When I am with Ikari I sense something of what I once felt for him. I _want_ to feel that again but I cannot."

"You want to be in love with him?"

"Is love not considered to be perhaps the highest form of emotion?"

"I suppose so."

"Then how can a person _not_ want to feel it?"

"But do you just want to feel it for its own sake, or do you want to feel it for Ikari?"

"I do not know. If only I could remember why I loved him."

Rakka sighed. '_I guess I can't make her understand that what she thinks are memories are just figments of her imagination... I suppose I should just play along for now.'_

"Well," Rakka then said, "If you spend more time with him I'm sure that whatever made you love him before will become clear to you once more… Maybe you just need to not worry about it and allow yourself the chance to fall in love with him all over again."

Rei smiled. "I was right to ask you."

* * *

"It is good that you came and told me of this yourself," the Communicator said to Rei. "I never expected that Ikari would act so rashly, so impatiently." 

"I am sorry that I also could not live within your guidelines," Rei said, her head down. "What is my punishment to be?"

"Look up at me, child."

Rei did as instructed.

"Again, you are blameless. You can hardly be faulted for doing as you did, and no ill came of it."

"Thank you for being lenient with me."

The Communicator chuckled. "You are the last Haibane in Glie who should say such a thing to me. I have made you follow a difficult path. I will not compound your burdens unnecessarily."

"Will you now punish Brother Ikari further?"

The Communicator shook his head. "No."

Rei was surprised. "But he disobeyed you."

"I told you before that he had been punished enough for his failure. Indeed, his situation with the others in his Nest had improved to the point where we were about to allow him to see you again regardless."

"So will we be allowed to see each other now?"

"Yes, once I have a word with him about patience."

Rei could almost feel the smile she could not see behind the Communicator's mask. She smiled herself. "Even as she was about to 'leave the Nest' it seems that Nemu helped me... helped us."

"Great clarity and insight come to those who are about to fly. Take their words to heart."

"I am happy Brother Ikari did."

* * *

The next morning Ikari headed out of the Factory to go to work along with Dai. 

"What's this?" Dai asked when he saw a note pinned to the board where their nametags hung.

Ikari pulled it down. "It's a message from the Haibane Renmei." His face contorted into a scowl as he read it.

"What's it say?"

Ikari crumpled the note and tossed it away. "It says that I'm supposed to go to the Temple at my 'earliest convenience' but no later than tomorrow afternoon."

"What for?"

"I guess they found out I went to see Rei at Old Home."

"You did what? Man, you're in for it now!"

Ikari just shrugged his shoulders and headed towards Glie.

As they were about to go their separate ways in town, Dai asked, "When are you going to go to the Temple?"

"I'm not going to go," Ikari answered.

"You have to go! You'll be in real trouble if you don't!"

"What more could they do to me?"

"I don't know, and I don't think you want to find out!"

"You kept telling me I had to stand up for myself more."

"This is _not_ what I meant."

Ikari again just shrugged and then turned and headed off to the music shop. "See you at dinner."

Dai shook his head. "Yeah, see you."

Neither of them noticed the fringes of some of Ikari's feathers start to turn black.

* * *

Later that day Ikari walked into the kitchen at the Factory. The music shop had been very boring; there had been few customers and he had worked alone all day, as the couple that owned it had been out visiting a sick relative. 

Consequently no one had really gotten a good look at him since he left the Factory that morning.

As it was his normal turn to cook that evening, he dug into the cupboards and refrigerator. He was busy chopping some carrots with his back to the door when Midori walked in carrying a vase full of flowers.

The next thing he heard was a crash.

Startled, he turned around to see the smashed vessel on the floor and Midori looking at him with a shocked expression.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"G-Go look at yourself in a mirror," she said faintly.

Puzzled, he walked down the hall to one of the bathrooms.

'_I don't see anything wrong,'_ he thought as he looked at himself. Then he turned to the side. '_What is _that_?'_

Looking at a side view of himself he could now see that many of the feathers on the lower parts of his wings had large black spots on them.

He walked back to the kitchen, where Midori was finishing cleaning up the mess she had made.

"What's this stuff on my wings?" he asked.

Midori came over to him and cautiously examined one of his wings, hoping that she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

She found she had not.

"It's not any 'stuff'," she said grimly after the short inspection. "Your feathers themselves are turning black."

"What?"

"Soon your wings will be completely black."

"Why?"

She looked at him dejectedly. "Ikari, it looks like you've become what's called a sin-bound Haibane."

Just the name sent a chill through him. "W-What's that?"

"I'm really not sure what it is. I've only seen this once before, with Reki from Old Home. All I can tell you is that it is very, very bad."

"W-What do I d-do about it?"

Midori shook her head. "I don't know."

"There must be something!"

"I know there's a medicine that you can put on your feathers to make them grey again, but it doesn't wash away the sin. I don't know how you do that."

"Then what's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know that either."

To his utter surprise, she hugged him.

"Go put your winter wing covers on for now," she told him. "You can just tell people your wings felt cold for some reason… Tomorrow morning I'll walk over to Old Home with you. Maybe they still have some of Reki's medicine, or maybe someone there will know how to make it." She sighed again. "Nemu sure picked a great time to leave."

She started to head out of the kitchen.

"Midori," Ikari said timidly.

She turned back to him. "What is it?"

"Thanks for trying to help me."

Her expression became sad. "It's the least I can do."

* * *

The next day everyone at Old Home was out in the courtyard enjoying another warm, sunny Sunday morning. 

"Kana, don't hang the sheets up like that!" Hikari scolded as the two girls dealt with some laundry. "After all these years you'd think you'd know how to do it by now!"

"Rakka! Catch the ball!" one of the Little Feathers shouted.

"Rei," said Hana. "Can I braid your hair again?"

"Why do you always insist on practicing on my hair? Why not ask Rakka or Hikari?"

"Their hair is too wavy! Yours is nice and straight."

Rei sat herself down. "Very well. Just remember not to pull so hard this time."

"Yay!"

"I think Rei likes having her hair braided but doesn't want to admit it," Hikari said to Kana conspiratorially.

"Yeah," Kana agreed. "But if she did then Hana would never leave her alone."

Kana then surveyed the courtyard and chuckled to herself. '_Things are getting back to normal.'_

A short while later their idyll was shattered by the arrival of Midori and Ikari.

Rakka and Rei went over to greet them as they came through the gate. "What brings you two here?" Rakka asked pleasantly.

"This," Midori said pointedly and turned Ikari around.

Rakka gasped. "When did this happen?"

"It started yesterday," Ikari said sheepishly as he turned back around.

"What is the matter with your wings?" Rei asked.

Before Ikari could answer Rakka hurried around behind him to examine his wings herself. "Don't say anything until I look at them!"

"You have some experience with this?" Midori asked doubtfully.

Rakka looked away, ashamed. "It happened to me, too," she said barely above a whisper.

"It did?"

"Shhh! No one else here knows. Only Reki knew." Rakka looked over at Rei. "Promise me you won't say anything about it to anyone."

Rei nodded. "Of course."

'_It must really be bad if people don't even want to talk about it,'_ Ikari concluded.

"But y-you beat it?" he then asked hesitantly.

"I wouldn't say I 'beat' it, but, no, I'm not sin-bound anymore."

Ikari breathed a sigh of relief. '_If she can do it, so can I.'_

"So he's definitely sin-bound?" asked Midori.

Rakka gave Ikari's wings one last going over and then nodded. "Yes… This is just how mine were at first – lots of black spots." She pointed to a large one. "Watch. You can even see it growing."

"So can you take care of it?"

"We don't have any of the medicine left anymore. It goes bad after a while, so I threw it out a long time ago. But I have instructions on how to make it."

"That's great!" said Ikari.

"What will we need to prepare it?" Rei asked.

"We'll need some tree leaves, roots and herbs. We should be able to find what we need along the edge of the Woods."

"And that will cure him?"

Rakka shook her head as she stepped back beside Rei. "No, it'll just make his wings grey again. The black will come back if he doesn't keep putting it on every couple weeks or so."

"But what is the cause? What is 'sin-bound'?"

"It's a curse," Midori said.

"It's not a curse!" Rakka responded.

"Then what would you call it? Hyouko was almost killed by it."

Rakka couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Can't you let go of that? That had _nothing_ to do with Reki's being sin-bound… And, besides, she's gone now!"

"But it seems that the contagion Reki brought here continues to spread."

"It's not a disease either!"

"Oh, really? It had been so long since there was a sin-bound Haibane here that no one besides the Communicator knew what Reki's black wings meant… And now, since then, it's happened twice more."

"That's not Reki's fault! You're just saying that because you're still mad at her."

"Ikari comes and visits here and then _two days later_ this happens."

"Oh, so now it's Old Home's fault?" Rakka asked, the hurt obvious in her voice.

"It all comes back to Old Home. Reki brought it here. Kuramori did nothing to stop it, and neither did Nemu. So it spreads."

"That's not fair! Don't talk about them like that!"

"Or what?" Midori taunted. "You just don't want to admit they _failed_ to deal with it, and that now we have to bear the responsibilities they neglected."

Hearing this Rei drew her hand back to slap Midori only to have Rakka catch her by the wrist.

"Rei, don't!"

"She does not show the proper respect for those who have moved on," Rei retorted evenly as she pulled her hand away. "She dishonors all Haibane by not doing so."

"Why you little freak," Midori snarled and then drew her own hand back. "Try to hit me will you!"

She and everyone else froze when Rei immediately dropped into what was clearly a combat stance.

"Attempting to fight me would not be advisable," Rei said calmly.

Although she was unnerved by Rei's posture, Midori's blood truly ran cold when she looked into Rei's unblinking eyes, which to her seemed to be glowing softly. "What _are_ you?" she whispered to herself.

Midori then gathered her composure and spun around with a huff. "Well, I can see I'm not welcome here… I suppose that's a good thing." She then started to walk out. "I'll leave Ikari in your care. Send him home when he's learned how to take care of his wings."

Rakka and Ikari stood there dumbly as Midori left.

"Heck of an attitude to have when you come looking for help," Kana observed as she walked past to fetch more laundry.

Rakka sighed. "She's just still mad about that whole business with Reki and Hyouko. And, on top of that, Ikari's wings probably really scare her."

"Still," said Hikari, "She doesn't have to say such nasty things."

"Sometimes once Midori gets upset she doesn't seem able to stop," Ikari told them. "It's like her anger takes control of her, and she just gets madder and madder."

"Lovely," said Kana.

"You're one to talk," Hikari chided.

"Well, let's forget about it," said Rakka. "Come with me, Ikari."

Rakka took him towards the West Wing. When they arrived at the door, Rakka noticed Rei following behind them. "You coming with us?" she asked.

"Yes. I wish… to help."

Rakka smiled at her. "That's no surprise."

The trio went upstairs to the guest room, where Rakka dug into a drawer. "Here it is!" she proclaimed as she pulled out a folder.

She sat down at the table and began going through the papers inside.

"What is this?" Rei asked.

"After Kuu left and I became sin-bound I asked Reki and Nemu to write down recipes for medicines and other things that might be useful, just in case no one in the future knew how to make them."

"That was wise."

"Was one of them how to make the medication for my wings?" Ikari asked.

"That was the _first_ thing I asked Reki to write down," Rakka said as she pulled out a sheet of paper. "And here it is." She read it over. "Just as I remembered it!"

Curious, Rei looked over Rakka's shoulder to see what else was in the folder. She just had time to read the title "Wall Sickness" on the top paper before Rakka closed the folder and put it back in its drawer.

"Let's go!" Rakka said as she grabbed a basket to put their collections in.

* * *

"I can see now how you were able to take on that boy in Glie," Rakka said to Rei as the trio walked across the fields towards the Woods. 

"How so?" Rei asked hesitantly as she noticed Ikari shoot her an uneasy glance.

"You were trained to fight in your previous life, weren't you?"

Both Rei and Ikari sighed inwardly with relief at the direction of Rakka's question.

"It would seem so," Rei then answered. "Nemu said that observing me over time led her to the conclusion that I might have been some sort of soldier."

"That makes a lot of sense."

"Yes, it does. But I cannot say that I find the idea a pleasant one. I find conflict… unsettling."

* * *

As they walked back from the Woods with their basket full of the necessary leaves and roots, Rakka looked over at Ikari, who had hardly said anything the entire trip. 

"How're you doing?" she asked him.

"I'm scared."

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

"What do I have to do to not be sin-bound anymore?"

Rakka shook her head. "I wish I could tell you, but it's different for each of us."

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"You didn't _do_ anything to anyone. You're sin-bound because of something _inside_ yourself."

"What could it be?"

"I can't answer that for you, either. Only you can."

"So what should I do?"

"You have to go see the Communicator. He can help point you in the right direction. But, in the end, freeing yourself is entirely up to you."

"We can go after we have treated your wings," Rei suggested.

"Yeah, and I'll come too!" added Rakka. "After all, I've got experience with this."

"You seem okay talking about it now," said Ikari.

"Mm-hmm… It's because you both know about my being sin-bound. I just don't want anyone else to know... It's not something I'm proud of."

"But why do you feel ashamed though?"

"Because I brought it on myself, just like you have."

* * *

They arrived back at the guest room at Old Home just as Kana and Hikari were finishing lunch.

"There's some vegetable stew on the stove if you want it," Hikari told them.

Ikari gave Kana a wide berth as she eyed him suspiciously.

Rakka gave the stew a stir and sniffed it. "Smells good!" She grabbed a bowl and ladled some of the thick mixture into it. "You know, we eat a lot less meat than we used to."

"That's Rei's fault!" Hikari teased.

"I have never asked you to change your dietary habits on my behalf," Rei said in all seriousness.

Everyone else chuckled.

"So, what do we have to do now to make the medicine," Ikari asked when they were all seated at the table.

"The medicine is basically an infusion," Rakka told him. "We have to chop all this stuff up really fine and then boil it… After that we strain the mixture, add some vinegar and then boil it some more to make a reduction of that."

"Doesn't sound too complicated," observed Hikari.

"Nope," agreed Rakka. "We've done the hard part already. The rest just takes some time."

"Would cheesecloth be best for doing the straining?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, that's the best thing. We don't want any of the stuff we chopped up in it."

"I'll go get some," Hikari said and rose to leave.

"You don't all have to help me like this," Ikari said.

Hikari waved him off as she went out the door. "Oh, don't be silly," she said.

_'This place really isn't like the Factory,'_ Ikari concluded.

"Well, when Hikari gets back I suppose she and I will take the Little Feathers on the cocoon hunt," said Kana.

"If you wait a little while we can all come help," said Rakka. "The stuff takes a long time to simmer."

"Okay," answered Kana. "I'll be up in the clock tower, then. Call me when you're ready."

"What's she do up in the clock tower?" Ikari asked after Kana had left.

"She's been tinkering with the clock for years trying to get it working again," Rakka told him.

"And what's a cocoon hunt?"

"Just what it sounds like. Every week we take the Little Feathers and go on a sort of 'treasure hunt' for new cocoons all through Old Home."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is, for the little ones." Rakka then got up from the table and rubbed her hands together. "Time to get choppin'!"

* * *

"This will probably be easier if you take off your shirt," Rakka said to Ikari later that afternoon. "This stuff is kinda sticky and it can stain."

Ikari looked at the other Haibane sheepishly, particularly Rei.

"Oh, come on!" said Kana. "It's not like we're guys and you've got tits or anything!"

"Kana!" Hikari responded as both Rakka and she turned bright red.

"Maybe it would be best if everybody else left," Rakka suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kana answered with a laugh and then headed out the door followed by Hikari and Rei.

"Rei, could you please stay?" asked Ikari.

She came back and sat at the table. "Of course I will stay if you wish."

Rakka winked at her as Ikari dutifully took off his shirt.

"Okay," she then said as she put some of the fresh concoction on a cloth. "Keep your wings spread out like that, Ikari."

He winced as Rakka began to wipe on the medicine.

"It stings a little when it gets down to the roots of your feathers, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's not too bad."

"How long does it take to work?" Rei asked.

"It's really fast," Rakka answered. "His wings will be all grey again by the time this stuff dries."

A short while later Rakka pronounced herself done and sent Ikari out onto the terrace to get some sun to help dry his wings.

"Thank you for doing this," he told Rei and Rakka.

"Don't mention it," Rakka said. "Haibane should always help each other."

Ikari felt a stab of shame.

* * *

"Oooo! Sexy!" Kana shouted from the courtyard as Ikari came out onto the balcony without his shirt on.

"Kana!" Rakka yelled back. "Just leave him be already!"

The tomboy just laughed again and went back to taking down the laundry Hikari and her had put up earlier.

"Do not mind her," Rei told Ikari.

"Yeah, she doesn't mean anything by it," Rakka added. "She just likes to tease people."

"It's alright," said Ikari. "I've had to put up with a lot worse from Midori."

Rakka glanced back into the guest room to read the clock. "Gee, it's almost time to start dinner. Making the medicine took a lot longer than I thought it would."

"I should probably get going then," said Ikari.

"Don't be ridiculous! You've got to let your wings dry first. We'll have dinner ready by then, so you're more than welcome to stay and eat here… In fact, why don't you just stay here tonight and you can come with me to the Temple in the morning."

Ikari seemed almost frightened by the suggestion. "Stay here?"

"Sure. You can use the bed in the guest room. You are a guest after all."

* * *

After dinner Rei went out onto the balcony where Ikari was watching the sunset.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay, now. Are my wings all grey again?"

Rei looked them over closely. "Yes."

"That's a relief."

"I hope that the Communicator can help you tomorrow."

"Yeah, so do I."

"I also hope this has not happened to you because you came to see me. I do not want to be the cause of any trouble for you."

"I doubt it has anything to do with you."

"You sound so certain. How can you be sure?"

"Um..."

Rei tilted her head expectantly.

"It's... It's because... seeing you makes me h-happy."

Rei smiled. "Seeing you makes me feel happiness as well."

"It does?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"I can't be very good company right now," he said. _'And it's not like people find me good company at other times either,'_ he added to himself.

"You have had a difficult time since coming here."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Rakka and I will try to help you through this."

Ikari smiled a little. "I like Old Home."

Hearing that added to the warm feeling inside that Rei was enjoying.

* * *

"I don't like this," Kana said back inside the guest room as she eyed Rei and Ikari out on the balcony.

"What?" asked Hikari. "You're not actually worried about Ikari staying here for one night, are you?"

"No, I'm not worried about him, specifically. I just don't like having a guy spending the night here."

"But Ikari's so shy and meek. What's there to worry about?"

"He's a guy. We're girls."

"Well, then, maybe you should lock your door tonight," Rakka said teasingly.

"Or is it that you find him too tempting?" Hikari asked slyly. "Maybe we should lock _his_ door tonight."

"That's not it at all!" Kana almost shouted, making her sisters laugh.

"But you did call him 'sexy'," Rakka added.

Kana screamed in frustration.

Outside, both Rei and Ikari wondered what the commotion was about.

* * *

That night Ikari again had a visitor in his sleep:

_"What do you want with me this time?" he asked sharply._

_"Your memory of these little meetings is getting better I see," said Lilith._

_"That's not an answer."_

_"Shut up!" She came up to him and glared at him almost nose to nose. "You have _noidea_ what you've done."_

_The dream Shinji began to lose some of his initial boldness. 'This isn't the way she's acted in the past,' he realized nervously. 'She's really angry.'_

_"Do you know how hard it is for a Haibane who isn't born a sin-bound to become one?" she asked pointedly._

_"What does it matter? I'm still more than ready to leave Glie now anyway."_

_"That's just it. I _cannot_ remove you from there now!"_

_"What? Why?"_

_"Rakka didn't tell you what happens to sin-bound Haibane when the time for their Day of Flight comes, did she?"_

_"They don't leave like everyone else?"_

_"Oh, no… They simply cease to exist. Every memory and trace of them disappears as well. It's as if they never existed at all."_

_"So? I'm nowhere near having my Day of Flight."_

_"So? So?" she almost yelled at him. "That means that if I tried to pull you out of Glie now you'd just vanish from reality. No. More. Shinji. Ikari." She sneered at him. "And while that might not be so bad in and of itself, my daughter's decision to leave the fate of humanity in your hands means that you have to free yourself from being sin-bound."_

_"The fate of humanity in my hands?" The dream Shinji was now visibly shaken. "And what will happen if I don't free myself?"_

_"Rei has made you the only one who can complete the process of Third Impact. Without you to make the choice for them, the human race will be trapped in its current limbo for all eternity."_

* * *

Author's Notes:

Oh, the irony. Just as things were looking up, Shinji unwittingly goes and makes them a lot, lot worse. But then, that's about par for the course for him.

Because of what Nemu said to him, he'd gone from his 'cowering' mode to his 'screw everybody' mode. Only this time he couldn't physically run away so he had to find different outlets for his anger and frustration. And, as usual, it's turned around and bitten him on the ass.

Shinji Ikari – the Universe's Bitch.

About Midori's 180: Her holding grudges aside, she's actually a very caring person. What's happened to Ikari in her mind now far outweighs whatever she thinks about what he did before, so she tries to help him. Besides, she might also be blaming herself for helping cause whatever it was that made Ikari become sin-bound by being mean to him.

Oh, and did I mention that Midori apparently hated Reki? And she has a bad temper…

Rei attempts to slap Midori for the same reason she slapped Shinji in NGE – not showing proper respect for someone Rei respects deeply. In this case it's not Gendo, but Nemu, in particular, being disparaged. She probably also feels that Reki and Kuramori are due respect because her sisters, especially Rakka, all respect them, as did Nemu.

One comment on the draft of this chapter wondered how Lilith and Rei could exist separately at the same time if they share one soul. They clearly seem to be separate at times during Third Impact in End of Evangelion, but we're never told how they can do that. I've got a theory and I might include it somewhere down the line in this story.

Version 1.1 - the usual clean up and minor changes.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.1

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 8: Koan / Moving / Gestation & Birth**

Early Monday morning Kana crept stealthily into the guest room and over to the sleeping form of Ikari.

"Time to get up!" she hollered and started banging on a beat-up old bucket.

She had expected Ikari to virtually jump out of his skin like almost everyone else she had pulled this prank on over the years had done. Instead, however, she was shocked as he cowered, shaking, under his bedcovers.

She abruptly stopped her noisemaking. "Um… Sorry… I didn't mean to scare you."

"Kana!" shouted Rakka as she came running down the stairs from her room. "What are you doing?"

"I said I was sorry."

Rakka sat down on the bed next to Ikari, who was still hiding under the covers. "It's okay," she said as she gently stroked his shoulder.

Ikari poked his head out. "Sorry," he muttered.

"You're not the one who needs to apologize," Rakka said kindly as she glared at Kana.

Kana looked down guiltily.

"Are you alright now?" Rakka asked.

"Yeah," Ikari answered as he sat up. "Where's Rei?"

"She should be here soon. She's helping me cook breakfast this morning."

"So I better get up and get dressed then."

"Yeah, you sh…"

Blushing, Rakka hurriedly got up, grabbed Kana's sleeve and hustled the two of them towards the door.

"Again?" Kana asked. "This is like when I went to get him at the Factory," she added as the door closed right behind her.

A few minutes later Rakka and Kana returned and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Ikari called out.

They entered the room to find the bed already neatly made and Ikari working over in the kitchen area.

"What're you doing?" Kana asked.

"I thought I should make everyone breakfast to thank you for helping me."

"You don't have to do that," said Rakka.

"Um… It's okay. I don't mind."

"Just remember Rei won't eat anything from animals," Kana told him.

* * *

"That was really good," Kana exclaimed after polishing off the last bit of her breakfast. 

"Yes, Ikari. Everything was great," added Hikari.

"Maybe we should let you move in here and be our full-time cook," Kana suggested jokingly.

Ikari blushed. "I-I'm glad you liked it."

"So, are you ready to go to the Temple?" Rakka asked.

Ikari's features became troubled. "I guess I have to be, don't I."

"There's no reason to go right away if you don't feel up to it. You can always go some other day."

"No, let's go and get it over with. I suppose the sooner I talk to the Communicator the better."

"I hope your visit to the Temple goes well," Rei said as she got up to leave. "Thank you for making breakfast."

"You're not coming?" Ikari asked with obvious unease.

"I must attend to my duties with the Little Feathers."

"Oh," Ikari said disappointedly.

"Um… Rei, I could fill in for you for the morning," Hikari offered.

"That will not be necessary," Rei answered. "You have your own responsibilities," she added and then departed.

"Do you think she's mad at me for something?" Ikari asked glumly.

"Oh, no," Hikari said. "Rei just has a very set idea of what her priorities have to be."

"Yeah," added Kana. "And the Little Feathers are always at or near the top of the list. She takes her work really seriously."

Rakka stood. "We can get going in a minute, Ikari. I'll be right back," she said and then quickly went out the door.

She hurried down the stairs and into the courtyard, where Rei was heading back to her room.

"Rei! Wait!" she called out.

Rei stopped and turned to wait for her.

"What is it?" she asked as Rakka caught up to her. "Is there something wrong?"

"I thought you wanted to come to the Temple with us."

"I do, but I cannot."

"Hikari can look after the Little Feathers while you go with us."

Rei shook her head. "That would not be proper. They are my responsibility."

"But what about Ikari?"

Rei was puzzled. "He is not my responsibility."

"But he's your friend."

"I do not understand."

"Who's more important to you right now – Ikari or the Little Feathers?"

"They are both important to me."

"But can't you see that Ikari needs you right now? He's scared and he's looking to you as his friend for support."

"The children and the Housemother also need me."

"Hikari said she'd look after the Little Feathers for you."

"But then she would not be fulfilling her duties."

"So you're not going to help Ikari because otherwise a few more cookies and loaves of bread won't get baked?"

Rei frowned. "That is not a fair comparison."

"But that's what it comes down to."

"One's duty is one's duty."

Rakka sighed dejectedly. "Guess you really were a soldier after all."

Rei reacted as if she had been slapped.

"Rei," Rakka then added. "You also have responsibilities and duties to your friends… and to help other Haibane in need."

Rei's eyes began to tear up. "You shame me."

"I don't mean to. I'm just trying to help you see what you need to see… Ikari needs you… You're strong. He needs that strength right now, and he's looking to you to get it from."

"You are right. Helping him should be the most important thing right now."

Rakka smiled brightly. "Let's go get him then."

As they started back to the West Wing, Rei wiped her eyes and said, "I never used to cry, but lately I cannot seem to stop."

"It's an emotional time for everybody right now. We've all been doing more than our fair share of crying."

'_Or is it that I am somehow filled with sadness and am only now beginning to realize it?'_ Rei wondered.

* * *

"Rakka, can you tell me how you and Reki stopped being sin-bound?" Ikari asked as the two of them and Rei made their way to the Temple. 

"I don't know if that would be helpful. There wasn't much in common between our experiences. What happened with me and what happened with Reki were very different."

"How so?"

"I wasn't sin-bound very long, but Reki was sin-bound the entire time she was here – almost eight years. And she literally only saved herself at the _very last_ minute."

"But how?"

"I was drawn towards finding my way out. Reki had to find her own way. I had to seek forgiveness. Reki had to allow herself to rely on someone else. The only thing that we had in common was that our cocoon dream was somehow involved."

"Your cocoon dream?"

Rakka nodded.

"It seems our dreams are the keys to why we Haibane are all here," concluded Rei.

"You could say that," Rakka answered. "So it's not surprising that the key to freeing yourself from being sin-bound might also be in the dream."

"My dream," Ikari said, disheartened. "I _hate_ my dream."

"That might be part of it right there," Rakka observed. "There's something about the dream that's haunting you, isn't there?"

"Um..."

"I know what you said about why you wouldn't go to the Temple for Rei's judgment, Ikari. Kana told us all."

"Oh."

"You have to find out what it is that disturbs you so much. That could be your sin, or maybe it will at least point to it. Then you have to somehow come to terms with it."

"I can't help but think that this all has something to do with how things have been for me at the Factory."

"Perhaps. It was Kuu's leaving Old Home that brought the darkness in my dream to the surface and led me to being sin-bound."

"Her leaving the Nest was a sort of catalyst?" Rei asked.

"Maybe," Rakka answered. "But I don't know if I was always going to end up sin-bound or not, so I can't say whether Kuu's leaving was somehow special, or if something else would have triggered my being sin-bound later if she'd stayed."

"So what's happened with me at the Factory might not help me figure things out," Ikari concluded.

"No, but it's as good a place as any to start your soul searching."

"After the way Midori was to you all yesterday, I really can't bear the thought of going back there right now. I guess I'll have to keep staying at the music store."

"I am not sure that would be wise," Rei said. "After all, isolating yourself at the music store might be the true catalyst for your being sin-bound."

"That's true," Rakka agreed.

Ikari hung his head dejectedly.

"I know!" Rakka burst out. "You can stay at Old Home!"

"But I'm not a girl," Ikari responded.

"I'm sure the others will be alright with it. And it would be the perfect way for you to have a fresh start!"

"What do you think Rei?"

"I believe Rakka is correct in thinking that Old Home might temporarily provide you with a less difficult living environment, and that it might therefore be helpful to you in your quest to free yourself. However, I cannot see the Communicator sanctioning it."

"All we can do is ask him," Rakka said.

* * *

"This is indeed grievous news," the Communicator said upon hearing of the events of the prior two days. 

"I'm sorry," Ikari said.

"The one you must apologize to is yourself."

The Communicator turned his attention to Rakka and Rei, who were standing behind Ikari. "The two of you are dismissed. I wish to speak with Feather Ikari privately about his situation."

"Washi," said Rakka. "Before we go, I would like to request that Ikari be allowed to stay for a while at Old Home. I believe a change in his living situation might help him through this."

Instead of the simple, quick rejection they all expected, the Communicator stood silently considering the request. "Very well," he then said. "But only until he is no longer sin-bound or I decide it is not helping him. And only if all the other Feathers at Old Home agree to allow it."

Rakka bowed. "Thank you, Washi." She then headed off to work, but not before putting a reassuring hand on Ikari's shoulder and wishing him luck as she passed.

"Brother," Rei then said. "I will wait for you outside the Temple."

Once she was gone the Communicator said, "You are surprised that I am allowing you to live at Old Home."

Ikari nodded.

"I know a great deal about how Feather Rakka's mind works. I do not think I need to guess any further about her reasoning. And, given the gravity of your situation, I could not bring myself to deny her request."

"Thank you."

"Besides, when Rakka has set her mind to something she does not give up trying to attain it."

Ikari smiled.

"As for your living at Old Home, keep in mind that the Renmei will be watching you closely while you are there. Do not do anything to disappoint us."

"I won't. I promise."

"That is a good attitude to have. I have every confidence that you can free yourself just as Rakka and Blessed Feather Reki did."

"What must I do?"

"Your black wings mean you have sinned. You understand this, correct?"

Ikari nodded.

"You are caught in the Circle of Sin and, yet, you do not know what your sin is."

"No, I don't."

"If you could see your sin, then how could you be a sinner?"

"I don't understand."

"One who recognizes their own sin has no sin. So, then, are you a sinner?"

"I don't know... But I must be... What have I done wrong?"

"When you see the answer to this question you will be able to free yourself."

"I'll try my best to find it."

"Yes, that you must. Perhaps, having not been born sin-bound, your answer will call out to you, just as it did for your sister Rakka."

"So what do you think I should do now?"

"You have been leading a very disjointed life for a Haibane. First and foremost you would be wise to settle into a normal life. Then you can see what appears for you about your situation."

"Thank you."

"Good luck, Feather Ikari."

* * *

Rei felt relieved when Ikari came through the Temple doors. 

"Did you learn what you were hoping to from the Communicator?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but probably. He said I need to settle down and get my life in order."

"That is sound advice at almost any time... What else did he say?"

"Basically the same as Rakka - that I have to learn what my sin is."

As they began their walk back to the main road Rei could not help but see the pained expression on Ikari's face.

'_I should comfort him… But I do not know how… Rakka often uses touch to bring comfort, as did Nemu.'_

Rei began to reach out to touch Ikari as Rakka had just done, but then she pulled her hand back.

'I cannot... I…'

Inwardly, Rei chastised herself for her failure. _'Why am I unable to do such a simple, human thing?'_ Then she recalled, _'I am not human… I have never _been_ human.'_

* * *

"How did the visit to the Temple go?" Kana asked late that afternoon as she came into the courtyard, where Rei was watching over some of the Little Feathers.

"I think it went as well as could be expected," Rei replied.

"Did Ikari cry and whine?"

"No."

"What a surprise," Kana said sarcastically.

"Contrary to your belief, Brother Ikari is not a coward."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. When I was set upon in Glie, my attackers made it clear they did not want to hurt him. They told him to just run away, but he stood by me and therefore also became their target. That was not the act of a coward."

Kana was surprised. "Then why didn't he have the guts to come to the Temple to help you?"

"You once told me that his refusal involved his cocoon dream."

"Yeah, so?"

"Your dream was a pleasant one, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Like me, his was not. I do not thing someone like you can easily appreciate how a dream like his could have affected him as it did."

"But it's just a dream."

"Your saying that demonstrates my point. You do not understand. You therefore should not be so quick to condemn someone for something wholly outside your experience."

Surprised at the strength of Rei's rebuke, Kana was chastened. "Um… I'll try harder not to, I guess."

* * *

Kana's attitude was decidedly different a while later at dinner.

"He wants to _what_?" she asked in total disbelief.

"As Rakka just told you, he would like to move into Old Home temporarily," Rei said.

"I did _not_ agree to this!"

"Do you have a problem with it?" Hikari asked. "Because I don't."

"Yeah, I've got a problem with it!"

"What?" Hikari asked with a displeased look on her face.

"Well, he's a _guy_."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "We've been over this."

"But that was just for one night. This is different."

"How so?"

Kana found she had no answer.

"I don't want to cause any problems," Ikari then said. "I won't move in if you object."

Kana could feel the eyes of the other Old Home residents on her. "No, it's okay" she relented. "You living here for a while won't be a problem."

"Are you sure?"

Kana looked away from Hikari's annoyed stare. "Yeah, I'm sure," she said with unusual meekness.

"Now he can cook for us like you wanted him to!" Hikari declared triumphantly with a clap of her hands.

"I wish Nemu was here," Kana mumbled.

* * *

"Ikari, are you going to live here in the guest room for now or will you set up a room of your own?" Hikari asked as everyone cleared the dinner table.

"Rei suggested I move into Nemu's room since it's available."

"That's a good idea. That way you won't have to pick and clean a new room."

Kana grumbled.

"We'll need to sort through Nemu's things first," Rakka said.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Well, isn't there anything of Nemu's you'd like as a keepsake?" Hikari asked.

"I had not thought about it."

"And we need to go through her clothes, too," Rakka added.

"To disturb her belongings seems… disrespectful," Rei said with concern.

"It's not like Nemu needs them anymore," said Rakka.

"And we Haibane have to make do with what others cast off," said Hikari.

Rei still didn't seem convinced.

"Think of what she left behind as her gifts to us," Ikari said.

Mollified, Rei nodded.

"When are you going to get your things from the Factory, Ikari?" Rakka then asked.

"I thought I might walk down there now and get some clothes and stuff," he answered. "Actually, besides my clothes, I don't really have much else."

"We've got a duffel around here someplace that you can use," Hikari said. "Will that be big enough?"

"Oh, definitely. I'm going to leave my winter things there for now."

"I hope you're long gone before winter comes," Kana said.

Hikari smacked her shoulder.

"Actually, it would be great if Ikari's stay is a short one!" Rakka exclaimed. "The sooner he's not sin-bound the better!"

"Yes," Rei agreed.

* * *

Later, as Ikari headed out of the south gate he found Kana waiting for him on her scooter.

"You want a ride to the Factory and back?" she asked.

"Um… You don't have to," he answered sheepishly

"I thought maybe it would give us a chance to talk, just the two of us."

"Sure… I guess."

He climbed onto the back seat and looked for something to grab on to.

Kana glaced back at him as she started the motor. "Just hold onto my hips."

She almost laughed out loud when Ikari averted his eyes and blushed. _'And I was worried about him?'_

A moment later, however, Kana found herself blushing at how pleasant Ikari's hands felt gripping her firmly.

_'No guy has _ever_ touched me before!'_

"S-So… Ikari," she managed as put the scooter into gear. "I-I just want you to know that I'm always going to be watching you, so you better behave yourself."

"Um… Alright."

They rode on in silence for a while until Ikari said, "Look, if you don't want me to live at Old Home, just say so."

"No, I don't really want you to," Kana said honestly. "But I'm okay with letting you for now. You understand?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"And it's not that I don't like you," Kana continued. "I hardly know you, so I don't like or dislike you. But after what happened with Rei, I don't trust you."

"I understand," Ikari answered glumly.

'Great, Kana… Kick him some more when he's already down.'

"Look, Ikari… Rei told me something today. She said that when she was attacked the boys just wanted you to run away, but you refused to. Is that true?"

"Of course. I wasn't going to leave Rei alone with them!"

"Then I guess I may have to rethink my opinion of you."

* * *

A short while later the scooter pulled up outside the Factory.

"I'll wait out here," Kana said. "After yesterday I don't want to run into Midori unless I absolutely have to."

"That I understand completely."

Kana chuckled. "Hurry up and maybe we can both avoid her."

Ikari dashed inside and, as quietly as he could, made his way to his room.

When he had finished hastily stuffing the last of his things into the duffel he turned to leave, only to find Midori standing in the doorway, hands on her hips.

"And where are you off to?" she asked.

"I-I went to see the Communicator today and he agreed that it might be best for me if I stay at Old Home for a while."

"Old Home?" Midori asked incredulously. "But you're a boy!"

"It's just until I'm not sin-bound anymore. Rakka thought that maybe she could help me more if I stayed there."

Midori nodded. "Well, if the Communicator says it's alright then who am I to argue?" She walked over to him. "How are you wings?"

"See for yourself," he answered and turned around.

Midori smiled faintly. "Much better."

"Thanks again for helping me."

"Yeah, well, right now I'm not too proud of how I've treated you, so, like I said, it's the least I can do."

Ikari fought back tears. "Kana's waiting for me outside, so I best get going."

"Tell me one thing before you go."

"W-What?"

"Tell me about Rei."

"What about her?"

"What is she really?"

"What d-do you m-mean?"

"She's not an ordinary Haibane, is she?"

"O-Of c-course she is."

"Tell me how she _really_ hurt that kid in town."

"I told you already."

"No. I want the _truth_ this time."

_'Have to think up something fast!'_ "You saw for yourself. She knows how to fight."

"Then why have you always said that Rei somehow managed to push the boy down and that he hurt his hand when he landed on it?"

"That's what the Communicator _told_ me to say." _'At least that's not a lie.'_

"Why would he do that?"

"Well, look how you're reacting! He was worried what people would think about a Haibane beating someone up!"

"And that's the truth?"

"Yes! And don't tell anyone else, please!"

"I won't," she promised as she stepped aside. "Take care of yourself, Ikari."

He couldn't believe his luck. "Um… Thanks. I hope I won't be gone too long. Be seeing you."

He breathed a sigh of relief as he went out the door. _'That went better than I thought it would.'_

Midori watched him head down the hall. _'You're a terrible liar, Ikari.'_

* * *

Kana and Ikari arrived back at Old Home to find the others organizing Nemu's clothes on the bed and table of the guest room.

"We decided we might as well get started on sorting these out," Rakka said.

"But where will I sleep?" Ikari asked.

"I don't see why you couldn't move into Nemu's room right away," Hikari said. "Now you've got places to put your things."

"Come," Rei said. "I will take you there."

Ikari followed her as she led him over to the East Wing.

"This is now yours," Rei said as she walked into Nemu's room.

Ikari surveyed the simple, neat room. "This is a lot nicer than my room at the Factory," he said as he put the duffel bag on the bed.

"Nemu had a long time to improve it."

"Yeah, I guess she did."

"I hope it serves you well," Rei said with a slight smile.

"It's great."

"One more thing," Rei said as she stepped back out of the room. "The shared bathroom is just down the hall."

"Shared?" Ikari asked sheepishly.

"Yes. My room is just the other side of the entryway. I also use this bathroom."

Ikari blushed. "I'll try not to inconvenience you."

Rei nodded. "Would you like some help unpacking?"

"What? Oh, sure."

They went back into the room and began to put away Ikari's clothes in Nemu's now-empty dresser and closet.

"I saw Midori at the Factory," Ikari said as he hung up a shirt.

"Has she calmed down?"

"Oh, yeah, she has. But she asked me about you."

"What did she want to know?"

"She asked me if you were a normal Haibane or not."

Rei stiffened. "And what did you tell her?"

"I said the only unusual thing about you that I knew of is that you know how to fight."

Rei was relieved. _'He tried to protect me again.'_

She looked over at Ikari. _'That feels so very right… He has _always_ tried to protect me… even before.'_

"Thank you, Brother."

"What for?"

"For looking out for me, even when it might hurt you."

Ikari didn't quite understand what Rei was getting at. "Um… No problem."

Rei felt a warm feeling in her chest. _'That must be part of why I loved him.'_

* * *

After perhaps his most restful night's sleep since arriving in Glie, Ikari stepped out of his room the next morning to visit the bathroom… only to be greeted by the sight of Rei wearing nothing but a towel over her shoulders as she walked back to her room after showering.

"Sorry!" he yelped, as he turned deep red and then scurried back into his room and slammed the door shut.

Rei paused by his doorway. "Is there something wrong, Brother?"

"Rei… I just saw you _naked_!"

"That disturbs you?"

"Doesn't it disturb _you_?"

"No," she answered and went on her way.

Ikari sighed. _'This is going to take some getting used to.'_

* * *

Three weeks later Rei and some of the Litter Feathers were working their way through the Second North Wing on the weekly cocoon hunt.

"Hana, take the little ones and start on the next floor," Rei said. "I will catch up to you in a few minutes."

"Okay!" she answered and headed up the stairs with her charges.

Rei smiled. Of late she had been giving Hana more responsibilities to try to assess how much longer the girl would need to remain with the other Little Feathers.

_'It won't be too long before she's ready to join the elders of Old Home,'_ Rei thought as she opened the door to the last room at the east end of the second floor.

She always stopped in this room when she was in the building. It was her cocoon room and, just as Rakka had said about her own birth room, it had a special feeling to it for Rei. Though looking at the room she wondered why, as it was a complete shambles, even by the lowly standards of Old Home.

'What a place to be born… Perhaps it is somehow symbolic of my previous life.'

She gingerly sat down on the sole rickety chair and closed her eyes. Soon she felt her spirits lifting as if simply being in this room suffused her with energy.

Her contemplation was interrupted as Hana came flying down the stairs. "Rei! Come quick!" she called out.

"Did someone hurt themselves?" Rei asked as she rushed back into the hallway.

"No! No! Come see!"

Rei hurried up the stairs after Hana and followed her down the hall of the third floor.

"In here!" Hana said, pointing to a doorway where the other Little Feathers were all standing.

Rei stepped into the room and saw what had caused the commotion. Towards a far corner of the room sat a green fibrous ball that looked somewhat like a small cabbage, with what otherwise might be mistaken for a white dandelion puff atop it.

"Is this what I think it is?" Rei asked.

"Yes! It's a cocoon!" Hana exclaimed.

Rei immediately sent the Little Feathers to find the other elder Haibane. She then knelt down and closely examined the curious object. She had never seen a cocoon before.

'It is hard to believe that this is how I came into this world.'

A few minutes later Kana and Rakka came charging breathlessly into the room.

"Oh, wow!" Kana said when she saw what Rei was standing over.

"So it is a cocoon?" Rei asked.

"You bet!" Rakka replied.

A few moments later Hikari, Ikari and most of the Little Feathers came flooding into the room.

"You brats get out!" Kana yelled. "You know this room is now off limits to you!"

After wrangling the youngsters out the door, everyone's attention turned to the tiny cocoon.

"How long do you think it's been here?" Rakka asked.

"Only a couple of days at the very most," Hikari estimated.

"About how long until it hatches?" Ikari asked.

"It's hard to say," answered Kana. "If it's a Little Feather, then less than a week or so. If it's someone our size then it'll grow for maybe closer to two weeks."

"How long did I take?" Rei asked.

"Well, when we found yours it was already probably almost a week old. You must have arrived just after a hunt."

"When Kana found you, your cocoon was already about a meter across," said Hikari.

"And then you took another eight days to hatch out," said Kana.

"That's right," added Rakka. "You were born on a Monday."

"So what do we do now?" Ikari asked.

"We just need to check up on it two or three times a day," Hikari answered. "It will turn a much paler green when it reaches its full size. After that it should hatch within a day."

"Once the color changes we'll have to keep a 'round-the-clock watch on it," said Kana. "It will start turning grey right before it hatches.

"Since my room's the closest, I'll check on it just before I go to bed," she then volunteered. "Why don't you check on it first thing in the morning, Hikari, and then Rei can look in on it in the afternoon."

"Sounds like a plan," Rakka said as Hikari nodded her assent.

"Yes," Rei also agreed. "As I am always here in the afternoon, I will inspect it."

* * *

Ten days later Rei took Hana with her to check on the cocoon, as had now become routine.

"Look how big it is!" Hana exclaimed when she opened the door, which now bore a sign reading "Little Feathers Forbidden!" on it.

"Yes, it is amazing how it has grown," Rei said as she examined the cocoon that now almost reached to the ceiling.

"This one is almost as big as yours was!"

"And I do not think it will be growing much more," Rei concluded. "Though the tendrils anchoring it to the floor and ceiling are still quite green, look at how the color has faded."

"Yeah," agreed Hana. "That means it'll hatch soon, right?"

Rei nodded. "Go back down and tell the Housemother that I must stay here and keep watch over it. And when the others return from work I want you to tell them to come up here."

"Okay!" Hana said cheerfully and then left.

Rei went and fetched the chair from her own birth room and then sat down beside the cocoon.

_'I wonder what you will be like,'_ she mused as she surveyed the rough surface of the ball. _'What are you dreaming of in there?'_

"I hope it is a good dream," she said to herself.

* * *

About an hour later Rakka arrived to see the cocoon.

"It has changed color," Rei said.

Rakka nodded. "Good thing I decided to bring this down here today," she said as she reached into the bag she was carrying and extracted a halo mold.

"May I see it?" Rei asked.

Rakka handed it to her. "They're slightly different you know, the two molds."

"How so?"

"The metalwork on the handle is a little different, that's all… But Old Home and the Factory are always given the same one."

"Oh?"

"Yes. So that means this mold made your halo and mine… and Hikari's, and Kana's, and Kuu's, and Kuramori's, and Reki's and Nemu's."

_'Nemu's halo,'_ thought Rei. She clutched the mold to her chest. "That makes it very special… It is part of the continuity of the lives of the Haibane of Old Home."

"Um-hmm," Rakka agreed with a smile. "It's so special the Renmei won't let us keep it."

"Do they not trust us with it?"

"Let's just say they can keep it a lot safer than we can."

Rei thought of the Little Feathers and of Hikari and her donut experiment. "Yes, I must agree." She looked the mold over carefully. "I wonder how old it is."

"I asked the Communicator that before you were born. Even he doesn't know, so I bet it's _really_ old. Think of all the halos it's made."

Rei's thoughts went back to Nemu and she felt a sudden wave of sadness. "I wish Nemu was here."

"Yeah, me too… Right now I'm kind of scared without her here."

"As am I. You at least have helped care for a Newborn before."

"You'll do fine. If half of what Nemu said about how you look after the Little Feathers when they hurt themselves is true, I wouldn't want anyone else there with me but you."

Rei smiled. "I will try to live up to your trust… and Nemu's."

* * *

Over the next hour the other three elder Haibane trickled in from work.

"I suppose it's time to draw lots," Kana suggested.

"Lots?" Ikari asked.

"Yes. To see who keeps watch when."

"Oh. Yeah, I suppose the overnight shifts won't be much fun."

"Kana, you'll have to bring the lantern over from the clock tower after dinner," Hikari reminded her.

"No problem," Kana replied. "Hmm… With four of us it was two three-hour shifts each day… But now we're five. It doesn't work out evenly."

"I don't think Ikari should keep watch with us," Rakka said.

Everyone looked at her. "Why not?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, I agree with Rakka," Kana said.

"Why?" Ikari asked.

"Well, that's a girl in there… Think of how you were dressed when you came out of your cocoon."

Ikari blushed. "I see your point."

"Right. It could be sort of embarrassing for you if she hatched while you were on watch."

"I suppose I probably shouldn't be around her much until she gets some proper clothes, either."

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Hikari. "She'll be in bed most of the time after she hatches anyway."

"You can help look after the Little Feathers for me when I am on duty here and with the Newborn," Rei suggested.

Everyone laughed at Ikari's expression. "From the frying pan into the fire, eh, Ikari?" joked Kana.

* * *

Rei got up from her chair and stretched.

_'It will be time for dinner soon,'_ she thought with some anticipation. Having the 3 to 6 watches had been tiring the night before and had been very boring that afternoon.

_'Ikari will be cooking tonight.'_ She smiled. Everyone liked his cooking and that pleased Rei more than she was willing to admit, probably even to herself.

'He has fit in here very well… Even Kana does not seem to mind his presence any longer.'

She walked around the cocoon, surveying it closely. As she came around the backside a patch near the top caught her eye.

'It is turning grey there.'

She went over to the window, opened it and picked up a kitchen pot and stick that Kana had left there. _'It seems that dinner might have to wait,'_ she concluded as she leaned out window and banged on the pot to alert everyone to come to the room.

Moments later Kana appeared around the side of the First North Wing. "Has she hatched?" she shouted.

Rei shook her head. "The cocoon is turning grey, though."

A few minutes later Kana, Hikari and Rakka arrived to join Rei, all filled with anticipation.

"I can't wait to see her!" Hikari bubbled.

"It won't be long now," Kana said as she inspected the growing grey patch.

"Did you bring the blanket to wrap her in?" Rei asked. "I do not see it."

"I hung it on a doorknob just down the hall so it doesn't get soaked," Hikari answered.

"That was prudent."

"Shhh!" Rakka hissed as she put her ear up to the cocoon.

"What?" Kana whispered.

"I thought I heard a blorp."

"A 'blorp'?" asked Rei.

Hikari nodded. "Sometimes the cocoon starts to make noises like that right before it hatches; I suppose from the Newborn moving around inside."

Kana rubbed her hands together. "This is so exciting!"

When no further sounds came from the cocoon the four of them then settled down around it, each of them keeping an eye on a separate part and watching for the first cracks to appear.

After a little while they heard footsteps coming down the hall and then Ikari walked in carrying a large flask and a bag.

"Since you're all up here I decided to make some sandwiches and tea for dinner," he said.

"That's great!" Kana said. "I'm starving!"

Ikari set the things down on the floor and turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to stay and eat with us?" Rakka asked.

"I was just going to go back to the guest room and make myself something."

"Is there enough here for you too?"

"I think so."

"Then stop being silly and sit down and join us," Hikari said.

He smiled and sat next to Rei. "It really is something," he said looking up at the cocoon.

Rei nodded. "I find it almost unbelievable."

"It's just another part of living in Glie," Hikari said. "So much here makes no logical sense. I mean, how does this thing _grow_ anyway? It's just sitting on the floor."

"And yet, it does," added Rakka.

Kana dug into the bag and, after extracting the teacups Ikari had packed, started to pull out and examine the sandwiches.

"These all look the same," she said with a hint of disappointment.

"Except for the two on the bottom they are," he explained. "I used the last of the leftover ham to make them. The special ones on the bottom are for Rei."

Rei smiled.

Kana passed things around and soon everyone was quietly enjoying their food.

"What will happen next?" Ikari eventually asked.

"That pretty much depends on how strong the young lady inside is," Hikari responded. "Kuu was quite small so it took her a while to work her way out."

"Yeah," continued Kana. "She managed to make some cracks and water sprayed out for a couple minutes before she broke through."

"With Rakka there were a few cracks and then she broke through almost immediately."

"And Rei just broke through all at once with no warning."

"She was the biggest Newborn we've had within memory, after all."

"This cocoon isn't as big as Rei's, though, but I think it's a little bigger than Rakka's," Kana surmised.

"No, I think it's smaller," Hikari disagreed.

"So going by it's size she should hatch pretty quickly?" Ikari asked.

"Yep."

"Then I should probably get going," Ikari said.

As he rose to leave Rei suddenly felt that she very much did not want him to go.

"Please stay, Brother Ikari," she said.

"Um…" He looked at the others and saw no objection. "Okay," he said, sitting back down. "But only for a bit. I shouldn't be here when she hatches."

Rei wondered why she felt as she did. _'His presence gives me comfort, but why? Again, it must be something from my past life. Knowing he is here clearly eases my fears about the arrival of the Newborn.'_

She looked over at him. _'If I was a soldier, did he fight beside me? That might explain something of what I feel.'_ She quickly discounted this explanation. _'He does not seem like a soldier in the same ways as I do. Indeed, in many ways he seems quite the opposite of one.'_

She was left puzzled.

* * *

After a few minutes Kana got up on Rei's chair and lit the lantern she had hung from one of the rafters the previous evening.

"Be getting dark soon," she said as she stepped back down.

Moments later there was a loud crack and then the side of the cocoon facing Rei suddenly exploded, engulfing her in a torrent.

She struggled to sit up only to find the Newborn thrashing about weakly on top of her.

"Ikari!" Rakka shouted. "Get her head out of the water!"

He managed to grab hold of the Newborn's shoulders and lifted her upper body clear of the salty fluid.

When her face surfaced she coughed violently twice, forcing the water in her lungs out in great gouts.

"It's okay," he said, turning her over and cradling her as she gasped for air while Rei untangled herself next to him. "I've got you."

Bright green eyes looked up at him through long strands of wet chestnut hair. The girl smiled wanly. Then her eyes drifted shut and her body went limp.

"Oh, no!" Ikari said, panicking.

"It's alright," Rakka said as she came up beside him. "She's just gone to sleep like we all did."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I had originally planned on this being a short chapter, not the longest one to date. Like chapter 7 it just kept growing and growing.

Kana does the bucket wake-up call thing with Rakka in the anime.

Wonder what Rakka saw in the guest room bed that made her so embarrassed… ;-)

I had real writer's block about the scene at the Temple. I don't know why.

A koan (kong-an, kung-an) is a Zen teaching riddle. Some, such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?", are self-contradictory in nature. The riddle Shinji is asked by the Communicator is very much like a koan.

Seems that the one who 'wears the pants' in the Hikari/Kana friendship isn't the one who wears pants.

I couldn't pass up the chance to have Shinji stumble across a naked Rei coming out of the shower again. At least this time he didn't end up on top of her.

Of course Rei feels more at ease when Shinji's with her when she's afraid. He's the "Invincible" Shinji after all.

And, no, the Newborn is NOT Asuka, who has blue eyes and bright red hair. She's a character of my own invention. Besides, Asuka would clearly be a Factory girl. As I've pointed out before, Midori sort of fills in for both Asuka and Misato in this story. Hikari Horaki would have made a nice Old Home girl, but she wouldn't have fitted the plot needs.

This story is not, I repeat, _not_ going to turn into a harem fic.

Version 1.1: The usual clean up stuff.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.1

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 9: Seika / Choice Cuts / Warning**

"Easy now," Rakka urged as they carried the blanket-wrapped Newborn down the stairs of the Second North Wing.

"No peaking, Ikari," Kana teased.

Ikari, who was holding the girls lower legs, blushed.

"Or did you already get a good look?" the tomboy continued.

Ikari turned an even deeper shade of red. "I… I didn't see anything like that."

"I do not understand why Brother Ikari is so embarrassed," Rei then said. "He has seen me without clothing before."

"What?" cried the other three girls.

"Ikari?" Kana asked pointedly.

"I-I just accidentally saw her once coming down the hall after she took a shower."

Hikari sighed with relief. "Yeah, Rei does have this habit of walking around the East Tower like that. I've run into her myself a few times. All she has on are her wing covers from being in the shower."

"You really should be more modest, Rei," advised Rakka.

Everyone could tell by the look on her face that Rei did not understand why.

* * *

Eventually they worked their way over to the guest room in the West Wing and laid the Newborn down in the bed. 

"Man, we're all still soaking wet," Kana observed.

"There's only one thing to do, then," said Hikari. "I'm sorry, Ikari, but you'll have to wait out in the hallway while we get out of these clothes."

He blushed again and hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind him.

A few minutes later the door opened slightly and Rei poked her head out.

"Here, Brother," she said, slipping a bag full of the wet clothes through the crack. "Please take these over to the South Wing and run them through the clothes dryer there."

"Um… Okay." He blushed some more as he could clearly see Rei's bare shoulder.

"Please bring them back as soon as they are dry."

* * *

After putting the girls' clothes in the dryer, including their undergarments, which embarrassed him still further, Ikari headed back to his own room to change. He then returned to the South Wing to wait for the dryer to finish. Once there the Housemother made him some tea and had him tell her and some of the older Little Feathers who were still awake about the new arrival. 

About an hour later he was knocking on the guest room door.

Once again Rei's head appeared. "Thank you, Brother," she said as she took back the clothes bag. "You should be able to come in momentarily," she added and then shut the door again.

Shortly thereafter the door swung open and he was allowed back into the guest room, where he found Hikari sitting on the bed cradling the head of the Newborn in her lap as she brushed the girl's long hair.

"Isn't she pretty, Ikari?" she asked.

"She does look sweet sleeping peacefully like that," Rakka added.

Ikari simply nodded and then looked over at Rei and smiled.

Rei felt like her heart fluttered momentarily.

"When will she wake up?" he asked.

"Probably not until mid-afternoon tomorrow at the earliest," Kana said. "Most Newborns sleep the better part of a day."

"It's more like she's unconscious rather than sleeping," he observed.

"True," said Hikari. "But saying she's 'sleeping' sounds a lot less dramatic."

"Sleeping is normal," Rei said. "Just as her condition now is."

"Well, normal for a newborn Haibane, anyway," said Rakka.

* * *

The next day Rakka and Rei were setting the table for lunch when, to their complete surprise, the Newborn unexpectedly sat up. 

"You're awake already? How are you feeling?" Rakka asked.

"A-Are you a-angels?" the girl asked fearfully.

Rei's stomach tightened at the mention of that dreaded word.

"Am I d-dead?"

"No, no, you're not dead," said Rakka as she sat on the bed and took one of the girl's hands in hers. "And we're not angels. We're just called Haibane because of our wings."

"Where am I? _Who_ am I? I don't remember _anything_!"

"I'm sorry, but no one here knows who you were. Starting today you have a new life as a Haibane. That's the way this place is."

"Welcome to Old Home, Sister," Rei added.

"I…" the girl said, trailing off.

"Just rest now," Rakka said soothingly. "I'm Rakka and this is Rei," she added, gesturing to her friend. "We're here to look after you, so don't hesitate to ask us if you need anything. Kana and Hikari will be back here soon and then we'll talk some more."

The girl lay back down. "I _am_ tired."

"That's not surprising. And if you feel frightened, just remember that we're all your friends here. No one and nothing are going to hurt you."

* * *

A short time later Kana and Hikari returned from their morning trip into town to work. 

"How is she doing?" Hikari asked quietly as she looked at the Newborn's sleeping form.

"She woke up for a bit a little while ago," Rakka answered.

"Really?" asked Kana.

Rakka nodded. "Maybe she'll wake up again after lunch."

Only a few minutes later, however, the Newborn stirred. Hikari immediately pulled up a chair beside the bed. Now that she was the oldest she felt it was her duty to see to the new arrival just as Nemu and Reki had done.

"Hi," she said warmly. "I'm Hikari. How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy," the girl responded as she sat up.

"Kana, can you get her some pillows?"

"Sure thing!"

Shortly thereafter the four Haibane of Old Home gathered around the bed of the New Feather. Hikari then performed the customary explanations and introductions.

Rei did not like having to explain the reasons for her name. '_Cold… Empty… Just as I still am,'_ she thought sourly afterwards.

"So, now that you know how we got our names," Hikari then said. "Tell us about your dream and we'll give you yours."

"I remember it really clearly," the girl said. "I was walking through a forest at sunset. It was autumn. The trees were all different shades of red, orange, yellow and gold."

"Sounds nice so far," said Rakka.

The girl nodded. "As I was walking it began to get dark and I started to get cold. Then I saw some smoke rising in the distance. I hurried to it and came to a small clearing where there was a big campfire. I sat down next to it and warmed myself." The girl looked up at them. "It _was_ a nice dream."

Everyone smiled. '_I'm so glad!'_ thought Rei.

"So," Hikari then said. "About your name…"

All eyes turned to the blonde Haibane, but she just sat silently with a puzzled look on her face.

"Seika," Rei suddenly said softly.

"What was that, Rei?" Rakka asked.

"Seika, as in 'sacred flame'. Would that be an appropriate name?"

"I like it!" the Newborn exclaimed.

"Then your name is now Seika!" Hikari pronounced happily.

Rakka then stepped forward and popped open the halo mold. "Now that you have a name, Sister Seika, I present to you your seal as a sign of your future as a Haibane."

She released the glowing ring above Seika's head, where it wavered for a moment and then fell to the floor.

Seika was taken aback, as was Rei.

"Oh, not again," Rakka muttered.

"Don't worry," said Hikari with a smile. "This happens sometimes. It just means that your halo will shine brightly."

A short while later, with the help of some wire and a paper headband, Seika's halo was securely positioned above her.

"It should stick by itself in a day or two," Hikari explained.

"It's just like when Rakka was born!" Kana said.

"Don't remind me," Rakka grumbled to everyone's amusement.

* * *

After lunch Rei walked over to the South Wing to see how Ikari was doing with the Little Feathers. She opened the entryway door only to be greeted with a loud commotion coming from the dining room. 

"What is going on in here?" she asked quietly but firmly as she entered.

The children immediately fell silent.

Upon seeing Rei, Ikari sighed with relief. "They don't want to eat what I cooked."

"Why not?" Rei asked.

"Boys can't cook!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"Did you even try it?" Rei asked.

"No way!" another child said.

"Do you like the food I make for you?"

"Yes!" they all said.

"Brother Ikari is a _much_ better cook than I am."

"Really?" asked Hana.

Rei nodded. "If you do not try his food, you will not know what you are missing."

Within moments the children were all happily eating away.

"Thanks," Ikari said. "I wish I could handle them like that."

"Where is the Housemother?"

"She went into town to get some things."

Rei frowned slightly. "She should not have left you alone with the Little Feathers."

"But they were fine until just now."

"You can never tell when or what the next problem will be with them."

Ikari laughed. "So how is the Newborn?"

"She is well. She has even awoken."

With that Rei clapped her hands twice to get the children's attention. "As you all know," she began. "We have a new Sister here at Old Home. Her name is now Seika, and I expect all of you to treat her with respect."

"When can we see her?" Hana asked.

"Tomorrow perhaps. She does not have her wings yet."

"They're really excited about the Newborn," Ikari said.

"Yes, I know. Since it was found, the cocoon was the main topic of conversation."

"When can I meet her?"

"Again, I think tomorrow would be best. Even Hikari and Kana are going to wait until then to visit her once more."

"Yeah, they stopped by this morning and asked me if I'd like to join them in town for dinner tonight."

"Are you going to go?"

"Um-hmm."

"I am glad you are getting along with them."

Ikari smiled. "This place sure beats the Factory."

"Perhaps when you return there you can make it more as you would wish it to be."

* * *

Back in the guest room Seika asked, "Rakka, why does Rei look so different from the rest of you?" 

"Oh, you mean her eyes and hair?"

The Newborn nodded. "And she's _so_ pale."

Rakka shrugged. "It's just the way she looks. Otherwise, she's like the rest of us." She smiled. "And soon, you'll have wings like hers too!"

Seika once more became apprehensive. "Will it hurt when they come out?"

"Do you want me to lie to you and say it won't?" Rakka answered with a small smile.

Seika chuckled nervously. "I don't think I'm very good with pain."

Rakka sat on the edge of the bed and again gave one of Seika's hands a gentle reassuring squeeze. "Everything will be over by this time tomorrow. For now try to rest as much as you can."

Moments later the door opened and Rei returned.

"Hi, Rei!" Seika said, smiling.

"How were the little ones?" Rakka asked.

Rei sighed. "As they usually are."

"Poor Ikari."

"Who's Ikari?" Seika asked.

"Remember how Hikari mentioned there's another group of Haibane here in Glie?" Rakka asked. "Ikari's one of them. He's just staying at Old Home temporarily."

"Oh. How come?"

"It's a long story," Rakka answered as Rei sat on the opposite side of the bed.

"You will probably meet him tomorrow," said Rei. "You can ask him about it then if you wish." She inclined her head to the Newborn. "How are you feeling?"

Seika became downcast. "My back is starting to hurt."

"Can we see?" asked Rakka.

Rei and she helped the Newborn roll over.

Rakka scowled at what she saw. The bruising and swelling caused by Seika's developing right wing were clearly up and to the right of where they should have been.

She looked over at Rei, who was clearly perplexed.

"We'll go get you some ice for your back," Rakka then said.

Taking Rei by the arm she led her into the kitchen area.

"You saw it too?" she whispered as she opened the freezer.

"Yes," Rei answered equally quietly. "The swelling is asymmetrical."

"What do you think it means?"

"I cannot say for sure. Perhaps it is nothing."

"And perhaps it is… what?"

"I do not know. It may be that her wing is caught on some other part of her body, such as a rib or her shoulder blade."

"And what can we do if it is?"

"We can try to move it now, but if it does not emerge properly on its own we may have to cut it out."

Aghast, Rakka gasped. "Cut it out?" she whispered harshly.

Rei nodded. "Are you familiar with the technique called a 'Caesarian'?"

Rakka shook her head.

"It is a surgical birthing method. An incision is made into the pregnant woman's abdomen and the infant is extracted through it. What we may have to do would be somewhat similar."

Rakka went almost as white as Rei.

"That is a worst case scenario," Rei said in an attempt to be reassuring. "Her wing most likely will come out normally by itself."

* * *

"This is the best!" Kana exclaimed as she chomped down on another big chunk of meat. 

"Yes, it is very good," Hikari agreed as she again looked about at the decorations of the fancy restaurant Kana had chosen for dinner. "I suppose it's alright to splurge a little tonight. We do have the Newborn to celebrate."

"I'm surprised a place like this even lets Haibane in," Ikari said.

"Maybe one of us worked here in the past," Hikari guessed.

"We should have pork chops like these at Old Home more often," Kana said, bringing the conversation back to her food.

"They're not the sort of thing we can afford regularly, and you know it," said Hikari.

"Besides, Rei won't eat them," added Ikari.

"Yeah, but she doesn't mind _us_ eating meat," observed Kana. "But Hikari's right about us not being able to afford them… I know! We should demand pay raises!"

"Keep your voice down," Hikari chided. "People are looking."

"Eh, they're going to look anyway. We're totally out of place here. That's part of what makes it so great!"

Hikari shook her head. "Sometimes I still don't get you."

* * *

Rakka looked on uneasily as Rei laid out the first aid supplies she had brought over from the South Wing that morning. 

Soon after she had begun to care for the Little Feathers Rei had urged Nemu to improve their provisions for caring for injuries. Now Rei's arrangement of the resulting acquisitions had transformed the dining table into something that would not have been out of place in a doctor's office.

Finally, as Rakka watched, Rei placed a surgical knife into a bowl of alcohol to sterilize it. Given their earlier conversation the action filled the brown haired Haibane with anxiety.

* * *

"So, what's the Newborn like?" Ikari asked. 

"It's hard to say so soon," Hikari answered. "She was scared like we all were when we were born."

"Yeah, but she seemed to get over that really fast," observed Kana.

"Um-hmm. She did. Heck, she almost seemed excited by the prospect of being a Haibane."

"That sounds good," said Ikari.

Hikari nodded. "But it sort of makes you wonder, though."

"How so?"

"Well, even though we Haibane don't remember our old lives, I think that we retain some sense of what that life was like. That's why when we arrive in Glie most of us have real feelings of loss and loneliness at first. We miss our previous lives."

"But you don't think that Seika does?"

"It's just a guess, but no, I don't think she does."

"If that's true you have to wonder what her old life was like then," said Kana.

"Rei didn't seem to miss her old life at first either," Hikari remembered. "She immediately got settled into being a Haibane. She's even commented that being a Haibane is much better than her previous life was."

"Yeah, and you know how hard we all think her old life was," said Kana. "I hope Seika's wasn't like that."

* * *

"What are you reading?" Rakka asked Rei, who was studying a thick volume she had gone to her room to get. 

"It is a medical text I asked Sumika to give to us since the library had two copies of it."

"So what are you looking up?"

Rei pointed to a diagram on the page she was reading.

"Oh," said Rakka when she saw it was about the anatomy of the upper back.

"I want to be as prepared as possible for whatever might happen," Rei said quietly.

* * *

"Okay, who's up for some dessert?" Kana asked as they rolled out of the restaurant. 

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," answered Hikari. "I can barely move as it is."

"How about you, Ikari?"

"I feel the same way."

"Man, you guys are so lame."

* * *

"Is everything alright?" Seika asked. "My back really hurts." 

"Everything's just as it should be," Rakka said.

She glanced over at Rei, who was looking at her with the expression she generally reserved for naughty Little Feathers.

"Since the situation has not corrected itself by now, I believe we should tell her the truth," Rei said.

"What is it?" Seika asked anxiously.

"The swelling from your right wing isn't where it should be," Rakka admitted. "Rei thinks that maybe some part of your wing might be caught under your shoulder blade or something like that."

"We do not know if this is a problem or not," Rei added. "We hope it is of no consequence."

"And if it is?" Seika asked.

"We do not know. Something like that has not happened within memory. I have already tried twice to move your wing over but it did not budge."

"Don't worry," Rakka said reassuringly. "You'll be fine. We'll make sure of that."

* * *

Ikari cast his gaze up to the windows of the guest room as they walked into the courtyard of Old Home. "How do you think they're doing?" 

"We could go up and say 'hello'," Kana suggested.

"That's probably not a good idea," Hikari said. "Seika's almost certainly in a lot of pain by now."

"Yeah, you're right," Kana agreed. "It's late anyway. We probably should get up early so we can go get breakfast in town tomorrow, Hikari."

"I can make you breakfast," Ikari suggested. "I have to make it for the Little Feathers anyway."

"That would be great!" said Hikari.

"Yeah," said Kana. "See you in the morning then," she added and then headed off for the North Wing.

Hikari and Ikari walked to the East Wing together.

"Goodnight," Hikari said and started up the stairs to her room.

"'Night."

"Oh, Ikari… Thanks for coming with us tonight. It was fun."

"Yeah, I had a good time too."

"Sometimes I think it's too bad you're not a girl."

"Oh?" Ikari said with a blush.

Hikari nodded. "It's nice having you here." She smiled. "Rei's lucky."

"Rei? Lucky?"

"Of course, to have a boyfriend like you."

Ikari turned beet red. "But I'm not… We're not… like that."

Hikari was surprised. "But both of you so obviously like being around each other so much. I just assumed."

"Um…" _'Do we really seem that way?'_

"And here I thought you two were just trying to be discreet... Anyway, Rei's still lucky to have a friend like you."

"I-I guess…"

"Oh, well. See you tomorrow," Hikari said and then hurried up the stairs.

"Yeah… See you."

* * *

"Rei! It's started!" Rakka called out as blood began to dribble down Seika's back. 

Moments later Seika screamed as her left wing broke through her skin, sending blood everywhere as it flapped erratically as she writhed on the bed.

"Her right wing didn't come out!" Rakka cried as she could clearly see it moving under Seika's skin.

"It hurts! It hurts!" the Newborn bawled.

"Hold her down," Rei commanded firmly but evenly as she rushed over, implements in hand.

Rakka did as she was told as Rei jumped onto the bed, straddled Seika and sat down squarely on the smaller girl's hips, further immobilizing her.

Rei splashed some alcohol onto Seika's back and then raised the surgical knife.

Seika let loose the most blood-curdling howl Rakka had ever heard as the blade bit into her skin. Her eyes grew wide as she watched Rei deftly make a cut that mirrored the one torn by Seika's left wing.

Blood flowed freely from the new wound as Rei pulled it open with her right hand.

'_Oh, God… She's going to…'_ Rakka thought queasily as Rei thrust her left hand into the cut.

Seika again shrieked and then fell silent and limp.

"Has she lost consciousness?" Rei asked calmly as she felt for Seika's wing.

Rakka looked down. "Yes, she has."

"It is probably for the best, but we must be careful of shock."

Rakka rushed over to the table and grabbed a towel to soak up the blood so Rei could see better.

"There," Rei soon said. "I have it."

Slowly she tried to work the wing free but it would not move.

"Rakka, try pressing down on her shoulder. That should make the inner part of her shoulder blade rise."

Again Rakka did as instructed and Rei soon managed to loosen the wing's tip from under the shoulder blade. Suddenly the wing then came free, covering them both in blood and gore as it literally sprang out.

Rakka collapsed back onto the bed. "That was horrific."

"Yes," Rei agreed as she pressed the towel to the still-bleeding wound. "But now Seika has her wings."

"Will she be alright?"

Rei checked her patient. "Her breathing is even and her pulse is strong and regular, so she should be fine."

"Should we try to keep her warm because of shock?"

"I think the fever will do that for us. Letting her overheat would not be advisable."

"This place looks like a slaughterhouse," Rakka said as she surveyed the scene. "You, me… There's blood everywhere… We should clean it up before it dries."

* * *

Sweat stung Seika's eyes as she opened them and saw Rakka, her head down on her folded arms, asleep at the table. 

"Rei, what are you doing?" she asked weakly.

"Cleaning your wings, otherwise they will be stained."

"Are they alright now?"

"Yes, everything is fine."

"I'm so hot."

"The fever is normal. It does not last long."

"Your dress… Is that?"

"Yes, it is your blood."

"Sorry."

"It was not your fault. Do not concern yourself with it."

Seika smiled. "Rakka's asleep."

Rei nodded. "It is about three in the morning. Once I am done cleaning this wing we are going to trade places, so that I may rest as well."

"You've been awake all this time?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Helping others is an important part of being an Haibane."

A moment later Rei smiled warmly as a memory came to her.

"What is it?" Seika asked.

"Your wings are a beautiful grey."

* * *

Seika again opened her eyes, this time to see a mop of blue hair next to her. At some point Rei had simply put her head down on the bed and gone to sleep. 

Turning to face the other way Seika found Rakka diligently working on her right wing.

Rakka smiled at her. "You're really lucky, you know."

"Why?"

"Rei had to make an incision and pull your wing out. You're fortunate she was here. There's no way I could have done it."

"Isn't she always here to look after Newborns?"

"Oh, no... This was her first time. The rest of us have all been here longer than her. Even though she looks older than the rest of us, next to you she's the youngest."

Rakka shook her head. "I'd never seen anything like what she did."

"All I remember was a lot of pain and then a _real_ lot of pain."

"It's good that you passed out. It wasn't quick or pretty."

"Is this what being a Haibane is like?"

"What, all the pain? No!"

"No, I meant having people care for you."

Rakka nodded. "We do try to look out for one another. Each of us here at Old Home cares about her sisters very much, and, now, that includes you too."

Seika smiled. "I think I like being a Haibane."

* * *

_Rei looked about her, seeing nothing but a dull white haze._

_"This is like my cocoon dream, but it feels different," she said to herself. "I am even dressed differently," she noted as she looked down at herself._

_She felt a presence behind her and spun around… to find herself looking at a mirror image of her blood-spattered self._

_"If you're going to perform surgery you should at least wear something appropriate," said Lilith caustically. "That dress was probably one of Reki's favorites and you've gone and ruined it."_

_"What do you want from me now?" Rei spat._

_"Still refusing to address your mother appropriately, I see. Typical teenager."_

_Rei glared at her._

_"I just wanted to warn you about that little Newborn," Lilith eventually continued._

_"Seika? What about her?"_

_"She could be trouble for you and, more importantly, for Shinji."_

_"Why? Did you send her?" Rei asked with derision._

_Lilith shoved Rei, causing her to stumble back several paces and then fall to the ground. _

_"Do not take that tone with me! The situation is far too grave for such juvenile nonsense!"_

_Lilith advanced on Rei once more but was stopped by a tremendous flash of light behind her 'daughter'._

_Rei felt a gentle hand on her head as a voice behind her called out, "You will not harm this Feather any further!"_

_The dream Rei turned and saw a young woman with long straight black hair, clad in a shining white robe, standing protectively over her. On Earth she would have been taken for an Asian, but in this place her large grey wings shattered that image._

'_A true angel,' was all Rei could think._

_"What do you want?" Lilith asked in a voice full of hatred._

_"Our Father has sent me here as one of the Guardians of Gehinnom," the woman announced. "He has decided that your meddling in its affairs has gone on long enough."_

_"What?"_

_"You are not to interfere with the lives of those you have sent there any longer."_

_"But the fate of the entire human race is at stake!" Lilith cried out almost desperately._

_"Humanity has put itself into its present predicament through its own devious and evil ways. If it disappears into nothingness as a result, the effect will be but a small pinprick on the Universal Consciousness."_

_"Father can put everything right with just a thought! Why does He not?"_

_"As He wished to do with Sodom, He may yet act to save humanity if given a reason."_

_"They are my children," Lilith pleaded. "You must let me help them!"_

_"You have delivered them into their plight yourself. What sort of mother would do that?"_

_"I just wanted to help Shinji make the right choice!"_

_"You mean the choice you want him to make." With that the Guardian raised her right hand above her head and a sword whose blade was surrounded by rings of fire appeared in it._

_"I will not warn you again," she said and then vanished._

_"W-Who was that?" a shaken Rei asked as she got to her feet._

_"She was what she said she was."_

_"Are you going to obey her?"_

_Lilith scoffed. "She can do nothing to me."_

_Rei looked at her dubiously. "Your behavior in her presence would indicate otherwise."_

_"Good. I wanted her to think I'd do as I was told."_

_"So you were just being manipulative as usual then?_

_"Of course." Lilith smiled as she walked over to Rei. "Now, then, forget about that troublesome gnat... Let's get back to your little situation."_

_"As the Guardian said, the 'situation' is all of your making."_

_"I had nothing to do with this Newborn."_

_"You did not send her to Glie as you did with Shinji and me?"_

_Lilith feigned shock. "Me? Of course not! She's been waiting her turn like a good little girl and her chance finally came."_

_"Then how is she a danger?" _

_"I just get this feeling about her… There's something about her soul... A darkness almost like a stain... And the stakes with Shinji are too high to let things become more unsettled."_

_"How does this concern Shinji? Moving to Old Home appears to have helped him greatly. I cannot foresee him being sin-bound much…" _

* * *

"Rei! Rei! Are you alright?" Rakka asked as she shook her friend awake. 

Rei sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"I think you were having a nightmare."

"Yes," agreed Seika groggily. "You must have been. You woke me up."

"I did?"

"You were talking in you sleep," confirmed Rakka. "At first you mumbled some stuff, and then you almost shouted when I shook your shoulder to wake you because you were starting to thrash around."

"What did I say?"

"Well, you mumbled things that sounded like 'lilies' and 'angel', and then, at the end, you said 'Shinji'."

"'Lilies'? 'Shinji'? Why would I say such things?"

Rakka shrugged. "Do you remember anything about your dream?"

Rei shook her head. "No. Nothing."

"Well at least you're awake and okay now. It seems like it must've been a real nasty nightmare."

"Shinji is a name, correct?"

"I think so, but I don't know of anyone called that. Do you?"

"No, but it seems familiar."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

ZOMG! Things r teh Biblical!

Seika asks if she's dead. Good question. Just what is the world of Glie anyway? One theory is that it is some sort of variant on Purgatory – a temporary place where souls go before moving on to their final destination. I have followed this viewpoint by calling the world of Glie 'Gehinnom', which is the Hebrew word for Hell. However, just as with the Christian idea of Purgatory, in this particular Jewish view most souls are sent to Gehinnom for purification, not damnation, so that by being cleansed of their sins they will be fit for the afterlife with God.

My personal view is that the world of Glie is for people whose lives on Earth did not allow for their true characters to be seen, either through dying young or being born into horrible circumstances. In my view Haibane are the former and the humans of Glie are the latter.

However, I also think that there is more to being reborn as a Haibane than just dying young. I think that Haibane are people who those making the judgments in that world think have particular spiritual potential.

A part of this Purgatory-like view of Glie is that the cocoon dreams of Haibane are somehow related to their deaths: Rakka fell; Kana drowned, etc. One corollary to this theory is that Haibane who are born sin-bound are suicides. Reki apparently stepped in front of a train, for example. Some Haibane fans, however, think that all the Haibane are young suicides.

Are Rei and Shinji's dreams related to their 'deaths'? We'll see…

Actually, what Rei dreamed of is not that hard to figure out in the context of _End of Evangelion_.

The inspiration for Seika's name came to Rei, not Hikari. Remember what the Communicator said about the new leader of Old Home?

No, Rakka's halo didn't stick at first either.

Shinji fits in well with the girls of Old Home? Well, so many NGE fans think he's a girly boy already, so why not?

A 'Guardian' appears. Who is she? What is she? The first answer is pretty obvious.

And the Guardian's weapon? See Genesis chapter 3 verse 24: _He drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life._

As for Sodom, God promises Abraham in Genesis chapter 18 that he will not destroy the city if there are as few as ten righteous people living there. Of course, God found only Lot and his family to be righteous and so his messengers told them to flee the city before he then destroyed it.

And as for Lilith's warning: As we all know, fire can burn as well as warm. Will we see that Seika is no different?

I didn't get as far along in the story as I originally intended with this chapter, but here seemed like a good place to end it.

Version 1.1: Clean up and some significant dialogue revisions. Also added to the Author's Notes.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 10: Biology Lesson / The Guardian / Flirt**

Ikari stirred languidly from another restful night's sleep. He felt a pleasant warmth and weight along his left side and opened his eyes to the sight of Rei snuggling peacefully against him, her head on his shoulder. With a contented smile he hugged her nude form closer to him.

The ringing of his alarm clock jarringly yanked him out of his enjoyable dream. He reached over with a groan and smacked the offending device into silence.

Sitting up he wondered what might have made him picture Rei and himself in such a way. '_Probably that stuff Hikari said last night about Rei being my girlfriend… Right… As if that could happen.'_

As he headed for the shower more dark thoughts crossed his mind. '_I can't even let myself think about stuff like that… Yeah, I like her and she's special, but even hoping for something like that will only bring me more unhappiness… There's no way someone like her would feel that way about someone like me. Best not to think about it.'_

* * *

Having showered and dressed, Ikari headed over to the kitchen of the South Wing to start preparing breakfast. Shortly thereafter Kana arrived. 

"You're here sooner than I expected," he said to her.

"Yeah, I woke up early so I figured I'd come over and see if you needed help."

"Well, if you want you can get the porridge going."

Kana looked askance at the large pot on the stove. "Um… How much do you make?"

"Well, today I'd make about three times as much as I would usually make for the five of us."

"That's a lot."

"There are a dozen of them, and then there's you, me, Hikari and the Housemother."

Kana started into her task and then let out a large yawn. "I'm not used to being up this early."

Ikari reflexively echoed her yawn. "Neither am I."

"Rei does this every morning?"

"No, just every other day. She has their breakfast ready before she comes over to eat with us."

"I'm surprised she bothers to join us… I guess she must like our company."

"Guess so."

Kana chuckled. "A year ago she would _not_ have bothered… I suppose she's changed some, eh, Ikari?"

"I wouldn't know," he answered somewhat sadly.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised that you can't see that she's changed that way. She seems to have always been sweet on you."

"W-What do you mean?" Ikari stammered.

"Well, she _has_ always liked you, right? She wasn't that way with us for a long time. She was really standoff-ish."

"Oh. I didn't know that." '_She was never really that way with me. Why did she treat me differently right from the start? Because she thinks she knew me before? Yeah, that's all probably.'_

* * *

A short while later Hikari arrived and chipped in by setting the tables for the imminent arrival of the Little Feathers. 

The trio's eyes all turned to the hallway door when, to their surprise, Rakka and Rei came through it instead.

"You guys look totally beat," Kana observed.

Rakka nodded. "Seika's wings didn't come out until well after midnight. I think we got about four hours sleep between us."

Hikari came over and looked the pair over closely. "You two are a mess!" she declared upon seeing the extent of the blood on their clothes. "Did everything go alright?"

"Everything is fine," Rei answered.

Rakka looked at her in shock. "How can you just say that?"

"It is the truth."

"But that's not telling them anything like the whole story!"

"I did not want anyone to become alarmed unnecessarily."

"Was there a problem?" Kana asked.

Rakka then described in detail the events of the previous day, eliciting gasps from her audience.

"That's amazing, Rei!" Hikari concluded. "I don't think any of us could have done that!"

"Yeah, Rei," Kana agreed. "That was a really, really gutsy thing to do."

"I could see no other solution," Rei said frankly. "And I did not want Seika to suffer unnecessarily. It would have taken over an hour to get a doctor here for her, and he would simply have done just what I did."

"Nothing simple about it," said Kana. "You're damn brave."

Rei shook her head. "You did not see the agony she was in. I do not think you would have hesitated if you had been in my place."

Kana laughed. "Yeah, I'd like to think that too. Makes me feel good about myself."

"So do you two want some breakfast?" Ikari interrupted.

"That's why we're here!" Rakka exclaimed. "We didn't want to risk making any noise by cooking in the guest room and waking Seika up."

"Do you think she'll be alright alone?" Ikari asked.

"Rei left her a note in case she wakes up again."

The conversation then came to an abrupt halt as the door flung open and the Little Feathers came charging in followed by the Housemother.

"Rei! Rakka!" a number of them cried out as they swarmed around the older pair. "When can we meet the Newborn?"

Rei once again clapped her hands to quiet her charges and get everyone's attention. "Sister Seika had a very difficult time with her wings last night. I do not know if she will be up to seeing you all today."

"Awww…" the group went in disappointment.

"Perhaps later today we'll bring her out onto the balcony so you can at least wave and say 'hello' to her."

"Yay!"

* * *

"Rei's so good with the Little Feathers," Hikari remarked as she helped Kana and Ikari clean up after the meal was over. 

"Yeah, I can't believe how well she handles those little monsters," agreed Kana. "She's almost as good a guardian as Reki was."

"Who would've ever thought that would be the case?"

* * *

Rakka returned to the guest room from having a shower and a short nap to find Seika sitting up waiting for her. 

"Have you been awake long?" she asked.

Seika shook her head. "No. Just a little while." She looked down at her lap. "Even with Rei's note it was sort of scary being alone."

"Sorry about that, but we didn't want to wake you."

Seika smiled brightly. "That's okay! You're here now."

"Are you hungry yet?"

"Just a little." Seika colored. "But… what I really need is to use the bathroom."

Rakka frowned. "Don't tell me we forget to tell you where it is."

"Oh, no!" Seika responded before again becoming uneasily self-conscious. "It's just that I don't think I can make it there by myself."

Rakka smiled warmly. "Don't be embarrassed. All you had to do was ask for help."

* * *

A few minutes later Rei returned from visiting the Little Feathers to find Rakka preparing a small meal for the New Feather. 

"Where is Seika?" she asked.

"She's in the bathroom. She's pretty unsteady on her feet so I had to help her get there."

"Then I will see to helping her now while you're in the kitchen."

"Great!"

A short while later Rei and Rakka joined Seika at the table as she ate.

"Can I ask you something?" Seika inquired, again blushing.

"Of course," Rei replied. "What is it?"

Seika buried her head in her hands. "Oh, God… I can't believe I'm asking you about this!"

"What?" Rakka asked curiously. "Don't be scared."

"Are Haibane girls… um… you know… like other girls?"

"Like other girls?" Rei asked as Rakka and she exchanged confused glances.

"You know… Down there."

"I am afraid I still do not understand," Rei answered.

"Neither do I," admitted Rakka.

"When I was in the bathroom… I noticed that I was missing something."

"Missing something?" Rakka asked.

Seika took a deep breath and then hurriedly said, "I don't seem to have a hymen. Do you have one?"

Blushing herself, Rakka looked over at Rei. "I have no idea. I suppose so."

"Haven't you noticed at some point when you've bled?" Seika asked.

"Bled?" Rakka responded.

"She is referring to menstruation," Rei clarified.

"Oh, yeah," answered Rakka. "Sorry... I didn't think of that because it doesn't happen to Haibane girls."

"Oh," said Seika. "That's really also what I wanted to know… So we're not like regular humans."

"Not in that way, no," said Rei. "We are all barren. After all, you just have experienced for yourself how new Haibane come into this world."

"But can we… have sex?"

Rei looked to Rakka. "I do not know if that is allowed."

Rakka reddened some more. "I think Reki and her boyfriend did stuff like that," she mumbled shyly.

"Is that important to you?" Rei asked Seika.

"Um… I was just… curious. That's all."

"Well, I think all us Haibane girls ask about these sorts of things at some point, so don't feel uncomfortable about it," Rakka said.

'_I cannot recall ever inquiring about it,'_ Rei realized. '_I wonder why I did not. It would have been simply natural to do so.'_

"So do you feel better now that you've had something to eat?" Rakka then asked Seika.

"Um-hmm," the New Feather answered. "I feel a lot less shaky now."

"I remember I felt much better after my first meal as well," Rei added as she rose to clear away the dishes.

"Do you think you can stand by yourself now?" Rakka asked.

Seika promptly got up. "Seems so!"

"Okay, so let's see," Rakka then said as slipped off her shoes and stood right in front of the Newborn. "Yep, you are somewhat shorter than me. Don't you agree, Rei?"

"Yes. Seika is at least ten centimeters shorter than you are."

"Is that important to know?" Seika asked, slightly confused.

"It is if you want something to wear!" Rakka exclaimed as she headed for the door. "I'll be right back with some things for you to try on."

A few minutes later Rakka returned with a bag filled with clothes.

"I think some of my old things will fit you," she said as she dug into the bag. "Why don't you get out of that nasty old cocoon gown?"

"Um… Alright," Seika said hesitantly as she slipped it off her shoulders.

"Hmmm," Rakka went as she looked at Seika. "You're pretty thin… but I think these will still do." She tossed a pair of panties to the New Feather. "Try those on to start with... and then we'll try this," she added as she held up a beige sailor dress with red trim. "This is the first outfit I got for myself when I arrived here."

"I don't want to take your things," said Seika.

"Oh, don't worry. I grew out of this a while ago. That's why I think it should fit you well enough. You're about the same height I was back then."

"What do you think?" Seika asked after she put the dress on.

"It looks fine," Rakka concluded. "That'll do you until we can get you some things in town."

"When can we go?" Seika asked excitedly. "I can't wait to see it."

Rakka looked to her red-eyed friend. "After last night, I do not think it would be wise for you to go today," Rei said. "Tomorrow is Sunday and most of the places in town are closed, but you should no problems going on Monday."

"Okay," Seika said as she twirled around. "I like this. It's pretty!"

At that moment they heard someone coming up the stairs. "Hi!" they heard Ikari call out. "I've brought you ladies some lunch! Is it alright for me to come in?"

"Sure is!" Rakka called back. "Come right in and meet Seika!"

Ikari came into the guest room carrying a big bag, which he set down on the table before turning to regard the Newborn.

"Hi… I'm Ikari," he said shyly.

"Ooooo!" Seika squealed as she rushed over to give him a crushing hug. "It's so nice to see a guy around here!"

"It's… ah… nice to meet you too," Ikari sputtered.

Seika brow furrowed as she looked at him and then she broke out in a big smile and gave him another squeeze. "I remember now… You were there when I came out of the cocoon! You caught me!"

"You remember that?" Ikari asked in surprise.

Seika nodded. "How could I forget a cutie like you?"

Ikari turned bright red and looked pleadingly at Rakka and Rei.

"So what did you bring us to eat?" Rakka asked to change the subject.

"Would you like some more food?" Rei asked Seika as she emptied out the bag Ikari had brought.

"Well, I'm not really hungry anymore," answered Seika. "But, if there's food around you should eat, right?"

"I suppose so, if you want," said Rakka. "I don't think you have to worry about getting fat."

* * *

Having finished her lunch Rakka got up and carried her dishes over to the sink. She noted as she returned to the table that Seika had not eaten any more food in a while. 

"Are you done with that?" Rakka asked as she reached for Seika's plate to clear it away.

Seika quickly put her arm defensively around her plate and shot Rakka a menacing look, but then she immediately relaxed back, seemingly embarrassed at her action.

"Yeah, I couldn't eat another bite," she said. "That was good, Ikari."

"Yes, Brother Ikari is a very good cook," said Rei.

"I'm glad you liked it," he replied sheepishly. "The Little Feathers weren't so enthusiastic."

"Are they giving you trouble again?" Rei asked.

"No, not really, but I'll be glad when they're your concern again and not mine." With that Ikari got up and put his own dishes in the sink. "Well, speaking of the Little Feathers, I suppose I should get back to them."

He headed for the door but was stopped by Rakka, who whispered something in his ear. "Okay," he said to her and then left.

"What was that about?" Seika asked.

"You'll see," Rakka replied cryptically. "Now then, I think it's time you got some sun for those new wings of yours!"

Seika glanced at Rei, who nodded. "They need to dry out fully," the blue-haired Haibane added.

"What would happen if they didn't dry out?" Seika asked.

"They'll start to smell like a wet dog!" Rakka exclaimed only somewhat jokingly.

"Really?" Seika asked.

"Rakka is exaggerating, but dampness and mildew are things you have to watch out for," Rei informed her. "That is why sunning them is important from time to time."

"Okay, you've convinced me," Seika said merrily as she headed out onto the balcony with Rei and Rakka following.

The trio walked over to the railing as Seika shook out her long hair in the light summer breeze. "This is nice," she said. "But I wish I didn't still need this headband."

"Maybe you'll be able to take it off by tonight," said Rakka. "That's about as long as I needed mine."

A few minutes later Ikari came back into the courtyard, followed by the Little Feathers and the Housemother.

"Everyone wanted to meet you," Rakka said as the children ran up to the balcony, waving and calling out greetings to the Newborn. "So I asked Ikari to bring them out here as a surprise for you."

Seika's eyes began to tear up. "This is so… wonderful," she managed as she waved back.

"Come play with us, Seika!" said Hana.

Seika turned to Rei. "Can I?"

"That is entirely up to you. My only concern is that you try not to over-exert yourself… Besides, Hana probably simply wants to try braiding your hair."

* * *

Rei, Ikari and Rakka sat watching the Little Feathers and Seika play in the courtyard. After a while Rei stood and stretched with a small groan. 

"Are you alright?" Ikari asked.

"I am feeling quite stiff," Rei answered.

"Why don't you go for a walk?" Rakka suggested. "Ikari, the Housemother and I can take care of everything."

"That is a very good idea. I have not been outside of Old Home for several days. The exercise would certainly be beneficial."

"Just be back before dinner!" Ikari reminded her as she headed for the south gate.

"I will," Rei answered with a small smile and a wave.

As Rei departed Rakka's and Ikari's attention returned to Seika.

"She sure seems to be enjoying herself," Ikari observed.

"Yeah, she does," Rakka concurred.

"She almost seems as if it's all new to her."

"Um-hmm… The way she's playing with the Little Feathers reminds me of Kuu. They're going to love having her here."

* * *

Following one of Rakka's habits, Rei walked up one of the hills near Old Home and settled down at the foot of one of the aged wind turbines that supplied Glie with electricity. 

'_The view from here is agreeable,'_ she thought as her eyelids grew heavy in the warm summer sun. Soon the fatigue of the previous night caught up to her and she fell into a deep sleep.

_"Feather Rei, wake up," she heard a soft, warm feminine voice beside her say._

_Rei opened her eyes and was startled to find a young woman sitting beside her on the grass. She recognized her long black hair and features immediately._

_"You are the Guardian!" she said fearfully as she prostrated herself before the woman._

_"You mustn't bow to me!" the Guardian responded in surprise. "I am not worthy of it." _

_"But you are a true angel!"_

_The woman chuckled. "I am no such thing," she answered as she stroked Rei's hair tenderly. "You have nothing to be afraid of. I exist to serve and protect the people of this world." _

_Reassured but still nervous, Rei sat back up and saw that, unlike their first meeting, the Guardian now had a Haibane's halo and smaller wings._

'_I have seen clothes like these before,' Rei thought. 'I have some exactly…' _

_Rei gasped. "You are Reki!"_

_The Guardian nodded._

_"Are you here to take me away?"_

_Reki again chuckled. "No, no… Your Day of Flight will not come for some time yet." _

_"Then why are you here?"_

_"You are a very unusual and special Haibane, so after our little get-together last night I just wanted to talk without Lilith being around. I'd like to get to know you a little better." _

_"But can she not see us together here? I think my speaking with you will anger her." _

_"Don't worry. This place is impervious to her snooping," Reki answered and then smiled affectionately. "I swore I would not let her harm you again, and I will do everything in my power to keep that promise." Reki's smile became somewhat predatory. "And the powers Father has granted me are not trivial." _

_Instead of being comforted, Rei became more downcast. "Sister Reki… I do not understand why a Blessed Feather like you would want to speak with me… It is I who am not worthy. I am… nothing." _

_"You are far from being nothing, Ayanami Rei." _

_"So you know about who I was before I came to Glie." _

_Reki nodded. "A little. That is part of why I felt I needed to speak to you. As you might imagine, it's not something Guardians do with the residents of Gehinnom very often." _

_"I am sorry, but I do not know what to say to you." _

_"I'm sure that if you think about it at least a couple of things will come to mind." _

_Rei sat silently for a moment. "If you know about Lilith and who I am, then you must know something about what has happened back on Earth… Because of me the fate of humanity is in Shinji's hands, but he is now trapped here in Glie, unable to do anything about it… How can I help him to free himself from being sin-bound so that he may bring Third Impact to a conclusion?"_

_Reki took Rei's hands in her own. "Your attitude is wonderful. Thinking of others first is the sign of a true Haibane." Her expression then turned serious. "Unfortunately, I have no special insight into him, so I cannot help you." _

_"Is there nothing you can do?"_

_"You know him far better than I do, and I think you already understand why he is sin-bound." _

_"I believe it is because of his father and Eva. Since arriving in Glie I have come to understand that he is filled with anger, hatred and bitterness because of them." _

_Reki nodded. "If that is the case with him then your conclusion about the cause is probably correct. Indeed, it would seem his name is an apt one for a sin-bound." _

_"But in Glie I do not remember these things so I am useless to him." _

_"Don't say that! You are far from useless. You offer him something beyond those feelings. You and your love for him can be his way out." _

_"But, again, in Glie my feelings for him are but a shadow of what I feel here... of what I felt before." _

_"That may be, but Rakka has pointed you in the right direction already." _

_Rei smiled. "Yes, she has. At Old Home I can tell that my feelings are growing for him again just as she thought they would… There, just as in Tokyo-3, he is gentle, kind, selfless and caring." _

_"Take comfort in the fact that there is no need to rush things. Without Lilith's interference, the two of you have a long stay in this world ahead of you, so you can allow your relationship to take its natural course. Humanity can afford to wait a little longer for you." _

_Instead of smiling at this news Rei frowned slightly._

_"You find that troubling?" Reki asked._

_"I do not know what to do about he and I. At this point I cannot even say that we are truly friends, as Rakka and I are. Just as before, I am unable to reach out to him even though I want to. I am what my cocoon dream and name say I am - cold and empty." _

_Reki shook her head. "Rei, Rei, Rei… Again you already have been pointed down the path you need to take." _

_"But I still do not understand what the Communicator said to me." _

_"It is as he told you. You must find your true name." _

_"But my name is and always will be Rei," answered Ayanami despondently._

_"When I arrived at Old Home, the Communicator gave me the name 'Reki' because of the pebbles I remembered from my cocoon dream. However, that was not the true meaning of my name. It was Reki as in 'to be run over' - a fitting name for one who was sin-bound. Only through my own efforts did I become the embodiment of the name that would allow me to free myself from my sin – Reki, the 'rock'." _

_"The 'rock'?"_

_"Yes. Because of my desire to become as selfless as I perceived our sister, Kuramori, to have been, I became the 'rock', the 'foundation' of the Haibane of Old Home." _

_Rei nodded. "Yes… I see… I know that even Nemu looked to you for guidance, and that, to Rakka, you were the heart of Old Home." _

_"Now you must find the true meaning of your name and become its personification." Again Reki smiled. "As the Communicator told you, you are already well on your way. Have faith in yourself. You are a good and strong Haibane, just as Rakka says you are. Believe in yourself the way she believes in you." _

_"If only I could remember your words when I am back at Old Home." _

_"I have not told you anything you did not already know. And though you may not remember my words, the essence of what I have told you will remain with you in your subconscious, just as your conversations with Lilith have." _

_Reki abruptly stood. "Someone is coming, so I must leave now." _

_"Wait! Please tell me one thing more before you go!"_

_"I think I can guess what it is. You want to know if I have seen Nemu since she took flight." _

_Rei smiled. "Yes." _

_Reki nodded. "I have. She misses her friends at Old Home, just as I do." She reached down and gently caressed Rei's face. "She misses you most of all." _

_"We miss her as well." _

_"You most of all." _

_"Please tell her." _

_"I will." _

_Reki looked off into the distance and then giggled. "My dear little sister, Rakka, has turned the wrong way looking for you, so I have time to tell you one more thing… Because of how you took care of Seika, the others at Old Home will now begin to look more and more to you for leadership." _

_"But aside from the Newborn I am the youngest!" _

_"That may be how it is in Glie, but were the four of you still on Earth you'd be sixteen now. That would make you the oldest." _

_"I still do not think I am fit to give them guidance." _

_Reki again shook her head. "Trust in yourself, child! I was told you were something called an 'Evangelion pilot' and that you had the fate of the world in your hands! Your life experience has prepared you far more thoroughly to guide the Haibane of Old Home than Hikari's, Kana's and Rakka's put together. If I did not believe that were so I would not have whispered Seika's name in your mind." _

_"You did that?"_

_"Of course. Haibane names are far too important to be left to chance." _

_Reki again looked off into the distance. "Finally, Rakka is coming. I must leave." _

_"Will I see you again?"_

_"Perhaps, if there is need." _

_"Thank you." _

_In an instant, Rei found herself alone once again._

* * *

Rakka came over a hill to find Rei asleep against the base of one of the turbines. 

"There you are!" she called out as she came up to her friend.

Rei lazily opened her eyes and then surprised Rakka with a radiant smile. "That was a wonderful nap," she said as she stood.

"I looked all over for you," Rakka told her. "Come on, its almost time for dinner!"

"It was nice coming up here," Rei said as they started back down the hill.

"Yeah, I like coming up here a lot."

Rei looked at her friend and smiled again. "After dinner could you tell me more about Sister Reki?"

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I do not know. I just find myself wanting to learn more about her."

"She was the best Haibane of us all."

"That you, my dear friend, feel that way is reason enough for me to find out all I can about her."

* * *

Monday morning after breakfast Seika scampered out of the West Wing, leading the other Haibane into the sunlit courtyard. 

"It's great to be without that stupid headband!" she proclaimed as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Remember," Kana said to Rakka. "If she gets too tired to walk back just come by the Clock Tower and I'll give her a ride home."

"Okay, that'd be perfect," she responded.

"So long!" Seika said with a wave as Kana and Hikari left on their scooter and bicycle respectively. "I wish you could come to Glie with us, Rei," she then said to her elder sister.

"My work is here," Rei answered, ducking the questions that would have arisen had she told the truth about her banishment from the town.

"Do you want us to bring you back anything?" Rakka asked.

Rei thought for a moment. "I cannot think of anything that I need, but it would be agreeable if you stopped by Hikari's workplace and got something for the Little Feathers' afternoon snack."

"No problem," Rakka said as Seika, Ikari and she waved goodbye and headed down the road to town.

Seika quickly latched herself onto Ikari's arm. "So… Tell me where you work again?"

* * *

"Wait right here and I'll get us something to eat," Rakka told Seika as she sat her down beside the fountain in the central square of Glie. 

"Okay, but don't take too long," Seika said as she looked about her somewhat nervously.

"Are you afraid to be alone?" Rakka asked, surprised.

"It's just all so new… Even though I like Glie a lot, I feel sort of lost."

Rakka smiled and nodded in understanding. "I won't be long. The café is right over there."

She returned a few minutes later to find Seika gone.

Rakka looked about the tables in the square and found her charge sitting with two young men.

"Seika!" she called out and motioned for the girl to come back.

"Look what he gave me!" Seika exclaimed as she sat down and showed Rakka her prize – half a muffin.

"One of them gave you that?" Rakka asked. "Whatever for?"

"I asked him if I could have it."

"But I was getting you something to eat."

"It just looked so good! And the more food the better!"

Rakka shook her head. "You really shouldn't go up to strangers like that… and, as a Haibane, you really shouldn't ask for handouts, either. We're supposed to work for what we need."

Seika's expression became one of confusion. "Oh… Sorry."

Rakka smiled in reassurance. "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

* * *

The next night everyone sat around the guest room table after dinner talking. 

"Man, that was good, Hikari," said Kana as she patted her full belly.

"Yes, it really was!" agreed Seika.

"Hikari's vegetable stew is hard to beat," said Rakka as she cleared away the dishes. "I think it's become her specialty."

"Oh, you guys," Hikari responded, almost embarrassed by the praise.

"So, what are people doing tonight?" Seika asked.

"I've got a new book from the library," said Hikari. "And then it's a nice relaxing bath and bed for me."

"I'm going up to work on the clock," said Kana.

"And I have some sewing I need to do," said Rei, who then turned to Rakka. "Did you bring the sewing basket back down from your room?"

"Oh, yeah," she answered. "I put it in the closet out of Seika's way."

"Do you need to do much sewing here?" Seika asked.

Rakka nodded. "You do. It just comes with the territory when you wear only used clothes."

"I don't know how to sew," Seika said glumly.

"Neither did I when I arrived," admitted Rei. "Hikari taught me."

"Yeah, Hikari's our master seamstress!" added Kana. "She can mend anything."

"Will you teach me?" Seika asked the blonde Haibane hopefully.

"Of course," Hikari answered. "I like to sew, so it's no problem."

"Just don't let Kana teach you!" Rakka said lightheartedly. "She's hopeless."

Kana made a face and everyone laughed.

"Well, I suppose I'll be going," Hikari then said.

"Yeah, me too," said Kana.

"And I as well," added Rei.

Together the three of them said goodnight and departed.

"What are you doing tonight, Rakka?" Seika asked.

"I'm beat. I had a lot to do at the Temple today, so it's a shower and bed for me."

"Oh, that's right," said Ikari. "How was your visit to the Temple, Seika?"

Seika smiled at him. "I'm glad someone remembered to ask!"

"She did really well," Rakka commented. "She didn't have any trouble with her wings at all!"

"Did the Communicator frighten you?" Ikari asked.

"Him? No way! He was sweet."

"I don't think I've ever heard him described that way before," said Rakka with a chuckle. "I'll have to tell him."

"No! Don't!" Seika pleaded jokingly.

"Oh, I don't know," Rakka teased as she stood to leave.

"You meanie!" Seika said and stuck out her tongue.

Rakka laughed. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

"So what about you, Brother?" Seika purred after Rakka had gone. 

"After I finish the dishes I think it's a shower and bed for me too."

"Do you want me to help?"

"No, that's alright. I can manage. It'll only take a few minutes."

Seika walked over to the windows and looked out into the courtyard. "Everybody's so boring tonight!"

"I suppose we're all tired out from work today."

"I know. I guess I just don't feel comfortable being alone yet."

"Well, I can stay for a while and keep you company."

Seika's face lit up. "I'd really like that!"

After he had finished the dishes Ikari came over and joined Seika at the window.

"There's some lightning over there," he noticed. "Looks like a storm's coming. The wind's even picking up."

Seika nodded. "I'm so glad to be inside."

"Don't like rain?"

"I don't remember… I guess not. It's cold and miserable being wet."

Seika moved closer to Ikari as the first thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Um… Seika?" Ikari looked down at her and saw what seemed to be a look of genuine anxiety on her face.

"Thank you for staying here with me."

"N-No problem."

Soon thereafter Seika leaned her head onto Ikari's shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ah… I guess."

"Would you like to stay here with me tonight?"

"What?" Ikari asked, shocked.

"I'm sure my bed is big enough."

"Seika… I… Uh…"

"Don't you like me?"

"I-It's not that… I just… Um…"

"I know I can make you feel really good."

By now Ikari's face was so red he could feel it burning. "Seika…"

She turned to face him. "I know they're not as big as Rei's or Hikari's, but they're still nice," she said as she unbuttoned her shirt. "See?"

"Oh, God."

"They're for you, if you want... _All_ of me is for you, if you want."

With that she took one of his hands and pressed it to her breast. She closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

At that moment they both turned as they heard footsteps coming into the room.

"I forgot to take the sewing bas… ket," said Rei.

* * *

Author's Notes:

This is the point I originally wanted to get to by the end of chapter nine. Seeing the length of the two chapters, though, I'm glad I broke it up.

On Haibane & relationships: At first glance Haibane seem like asexual beings who do not care about forming couples like humans do. However, Reki & Hyouko's relationship seems to belie that notion, as does Nemu's quip in the anime about how it would be nice to "have men around". It just seems that, overall, Haibane do not seek out romantic relationships, nor do they care as much about having them as humans do. They seem to be far more singular creatures than humans are. They are not loners, however, as friendship and community are very important to them.

This is part of the reason I made Shinji's dream about Rei at the beginning of the chapter more sensual and romantic than overtly sexual. Also, I somehow doubt male Haibane have 'wet dreams' for the same reasons.

Have you figured out what sort of life Seika had before? Just as Hikari and Kana wondered about in the last chapter, Seika's was a rough life. Look at the way she is about food given the fact she's very thin. She also seems to be attention deprived. Play seems novel to her. And then there's how she is about males and sex, and the fact she's a young girl without an intact hymen. It adds up to someone who had a lonely, disadvantaged life and who had to use her body to survive. Think of Seika as someone who was perhaps an orphan who had to prostitute herself to live. Perhaps she was a street urchin somewhere. She also seems to gravitate towards males simply for protection – in this case towards Shinji. She now does all this simply out of engrained habits, not because she actually remembers anything about herself.

About Shinji's name: Reki is referring to one meaning of Ikari – hatred – as being apt for a sin-bound.

Why didn't Rei ask about Haibane and menstruation? In NGE fandom her remark about a "woman who does not bleed" is usually taken as a reference to herself not having a period. After all, inter-species hybrids are usually sterile. I've followed that notion here, so Rei never asked simply because it never occurred to her to ask.

Ten centimeters is 4 inches.

Finally, Shinji and Rei both have issues of self-doubt and self-loathing - her more the former and him more the latter. We see this about Rei in her talk with Reki. Rei's feelings are pretty neatly compartmentalized, but Shinji's are not. We'll see some of the ramifications of this coming up.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 11: Mustn't Run Away**

"I… I did not… mean t-to intrude," Rei stuttered as she slowly backed away from Ikari and Seika.

"Excuse me!" she said as she turned and ran out the door.

"Rei! Wait!" Ikari cried out as he followed after her.

"Let her go!" Seika called to him as he reached the stairs.

Ikari looked back at her. "But…"

Seika came out and took him by the hand again. "It's alright. You're here with me now."

She started to draw him back towards the guestroom when Rakka came hurrying down the stairs.

"What's all the shout…" she started to ask, but trailed off when she saw Seika's state of undress. "Oh… Um…"

"Rakka!" exclaimed Ikari. "It's…"

"What happened?" an embarrassed Rakka asked as Seika clutched her shirt closed and looked away.

"Rei… saw us," Ikari managed. "Then she ran away."

Rakka could not hide her shock. "This… this is not good."

"We weren't doing anything wrong!" Seika said pointedly.

Rakka shook her head. "I didn't say you were." She sighed heavily. "Come on Ikari. Let's go talk to her."

"Okay," he answered meekly.

Seika quickly wrapped her arms tightly around one of his. "No! You said you'd stay here with me!"

"B-But," Ikari stammered.

Rakka looked at Seika sternly. "Don't you care about Rei's feelings?"

"She was just surprised, that's all!" Seika insisted. "It's not like Ikari and her are lovers or anything!"

"No… No, they're not," Rakka had to agree. "But they're…"

"They're what?" Seika asked sharply.

"Rei thinks we're 'connected'," Ikari admitted sheepishly as he hung his head down. "And… and I have to agree. There's just something about her and me."

Shocked, Seika backed away. "But you didn't say anything!" she exclaimed as she covered her mouth with one of her hands. She looked pleadingly at Rakka. "I didn't know!"

"I know you didn't," Rakka replied evenly. "That's why you were right when you said you'd done nothing wrong. This is all just a misunderstanding."

Now it was Seika's turn to hang her head in shame. "I… I'm so, so sorry."

"It's alright. Ikari and I will go straighten things out with Rei."

"I should come too."

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea just now. You can talk to Rei tomorrow."

"Alright. If you think that's best."

Rakka turned to Ikari. "Come on. Let's go."

"I think that maybe I should go by myself."

"Okay. If that's how you want to handle it."

As Ikari rushed down the stairs, Rakka turned her attention back to Seika, who was now crying. She held the Newborn close as she wept.

"There, there," she said soothingly.

"I-I just w-wanted him to l-l-like me!"

* * *

Ikari ran over to the East Tower as the first drops of rain from the approaching storm began to fall. He hurried in and knocked on Rei's door. 

"Rei! It's me! We need to talk."

Silence.

He banged on the door harder.

"Rei! I'm sorry! It's all a misunderstanding."

Silence.

He jiggled the doorknob and found it was locked. Since none of the rooms of Old Home had keys, this confirmed for him that Rei was indeed inside.

"Rei! Please! Nothing happened. Please listen to me!"

Silence.

Ikari turned and began to head dejectedly back to his own room when he once again heard someone coming down the stairs. This time it was Hikari who had been roused by the noise.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Her jaw fell open as he told her.

"Oh, God… What was Seika thinking?" she then said.

"She didn't mean any harm."

"Come here," Hikari said, taking Ikari by the arm and leading him back to Rei's door.

She knocked lightly. "Rei, it's Hikari. Please talk to Ikari."

Again there was only silence.

Crestfallen, Hikari turned to her male housemate. "Looks like she's taking this pretty hard."

"But I don't understand why she won't talk to me. Why is she being this way?"

Hikari scowled a little at him. "Do you really not get it?" she asked in disbelief.

Ikari shook his head.

"It's like I said the other night. I think she really likes you."

"But she's never said anything like that to me."

"Have _you_ ever told her how you feel about her?"

Ikari looked down at his feet. "No. No, not really."

The blonde Haibane shook her head. "You two are so alike sometimes. It's no wonder you were born the same day."

"What should I do now?"

Hikari sighed. "Look, maybe you should let me try to talk to her by myself for now."

Ikari nodded sadly. "Okay. Thanks. I'll be in my room."

Hikari watched him go down the hall with some sadness and then turned back to Rei's door.

She knocked again. "Rei, if you want to talk, I'm by myself now."

Again there was no response.

"Please, Rei, open up," Hikari pleaded. "Don't be this way. It'll only make things worse."

Moments later she was rewarded by the soft click of the door being unlocked.

Hikari opened the door slowly to find the room almost completely dark, the only light coming from the hallway, the lightning flashes outside and from the soft glow of Rei's halo. Rei was sitting on her bed, her knees pulled up in front of her and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

Hikari sat down on a corner of Reki's old bed. "Rei… I'm so sorry this happened to you… But Ikari didn't do anything. It was all Seika's doing. She came on to him like that out of the blue. You just happened upon them at the worst possible moment."

"Why would she do that?" Rei said barely above a whisper, her voice cracking.

"I don't know… She's a Newborn… She may not show it, but she probably feels very frightened and very alone right now. Her trying to have Ikari as close as possible to her was probably just her way of trying to get some sense of security."

Rei said nothing in response. Hikari didn't want to press her so they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Rei," Hikari finally said. "Come with me to talk to Ikari. He's really sorry about all this. He wants to apologize."

"There is no need for him to apologize. As you said, he did not do anything untoward."

Hikari smiled. "I'm so glad you understand that. So, let's go!"

Rei did not move. "Do you think he would have allowed himself to be seduced if I had not interrupted them?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I honestly don't think so… From what he told me it all happened so fast he didn't really have time to react. Besides, you're clearly the one he cares about the most here."

Rei again was silent.

"If the answer matters to you then you _have_ to talk to him about how you feel… You _both_ need to tell each other how you feel."

"That is… unnecessary."

"My God, how can you say that?"

"I… appreciate… your concern, Sister, but please leave. I wish to be alone now."

Hikari was utterly taken aback. "Why won't you go talk to Ikari?"

"There is nothing that needs to be said."

Hikari was struck by the quiet monotony of Rei's voice. It had no spark of life or animation. A chill went down her spine when she realized that Rei was suddenly speaking the same way she had when she had first arrived at Old Home.

"Oh, Rei… Don't be like this. Don't let a simple misunderstanding come between you two."

The blue-haired Haibane got up from her bed and walked towards to the door. Hikari immediately followed after her, happily thinking that Rei had finally decided to see Ikari.

But Rei stopped just inside the door. "As I said, I wish to be alone, Sister. Please… Please go."

Again saddened, Hikari could only do as she was asked.

"Goodnight, Sister," Rei said as she closed the door.

"'Night," Hikari said disappointedly.

She walked over to Ikari's room and knocked, but there was no answer. She opened the door a crack to find that the room was empty. She then checked the bathroom but found it was the same.

'_Where could he have gone?'_

"Oh, well," she said to herself regretfully and decided to give up on trying to help her two housemates for the night. As she made her way back up the stairs the thunder and pelting rain outside kept her from hearing the sounds coming from Rei's room.

In her room, Rei had gone back to her bed and curled herself tightly into a fetal position. For the first time in her life, instead of having tears silently run down her face as she wept, Rei broke into loud wracking sobs and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning found only four Haibane around the table for breakfast. 

"Where are Ikari and Rei?" Seika asked gloomily, her puffy red eyes betraying the amount of crying she had done overnight.

"I have no idea where Ikari is," said Rakka. "But Rei's probably decided to stay with the Little Feathers this morning."

"Last night Rei told me just wanted to be by herself right now," Hikari added.

Seika groaned. "This is all my fault… I feel so awful. Everyone's been so wonderful to me and this is how I repay you."

"The only thing you can be blamed for is being hasty," Hikari said, trying to be comforting. "No one holds what happened against you."

"Not even Rei?"

"Maybe after breakfast you should go see her," Rakka suggested.

"Do you think that's wise?" Kana asked.

"The sooner, the better I'd say," Rakka answered.

Seika nodded her head in resignation. "Would you come with me?"

"Sure. Looking after you is my top priority, so I can be a little late getting to the Temple."

* * *

"Do you think Rei hates me now?" Seika asked as Rakka and she walked through the tunnel to the South Wing to avoid the rain still falling outside. 

"No, of course not. I don't think Rei could ever hate anybody. Besides, from what Hikari said she's feeling hurt, not angry."

They went up the stairs to the South Wing and found Rei in the dining hall cleaning up after the Little Feathers' breakfast. Seika immediately raced over and threw her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry!" she said as she began to sob on Rei's shoulder.

Rei just stood there looking straight ahead as if she didn't even notice the younger girl.

"Rei, say something!" Rakka finally had to urge her.

Rei glanced down at the Newborn. "There is no reason for you to be troubled," she said flatly. "You have done nothing that would warrant an apology."

Seika looked up at her and wiped her eyes. "But I hurt you!"

"Did you mean to?"

"No! Of course not!"

"I already knew this, so there is no need to say anything further." Rei turned and headed back into the kitchen. "Please excuse me. I have work to do."

Seika looked at Rakka with confusion.

Rakka shrugged. "Rei's like this sometimes, but she always means what she says. There're no bad feelings between you two as far as she's concerned."

Seika sighed. "That is _such_ a relief."

Rakka patted the New Feather's shoulder reassuringly. "You go back to the guest room. I need to talk to Rei for a minute."

* * *

"Rei, are you really alright?" Rakka asked as she came into the kitchen. 

"Yes," she responded curtly without looking up from the dish she was washing.

Rakka was far from convinced. "You don't _sound_ alright. You're not _acting_ like you're alright."

Rei looked up at her friend and for a moment her countenance softened. "I am… in pain," she admitted.

Rakka nodded sympathetically. "Of course you are. It must've been quite a shock."

"I felt… I felt as if someone had… had grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed it when I saw them together like that."

"Oh, Rei. You poor thing."

"I did not like the feeling."

"Of course you didn't."

"I do not want to ever feel anything like it again."

"I don't blame you."

"My feelings for Ikari have led to pain… I found happiness in my friendship with Nemu… and then she left… Your friendship also makes me happy, but you too will leave, as will Hikari and Kana… The arrival of the Newborn caused me to feel apprehension… and then I had to literally slice into her… I find this all… untenable."

"Untenable?"

"Yes. Therefore I have resolved to never again allow myself to be put into a situation where I can be hurt," Rei declared icily.

"What do you mean?"

"I have decided to concentrate solely on caring for the Little Feathers, as is my duty, for the rest of my time here in Glie. To that end I am going to move into the South Wing with them and eat all my meals here… Please tell Sister Seika that she is welcome to take my current room."

"You can't solve anything by shutting yourself away from us! It didn't work for Ikari at the Factory. What makes you think it will work for you?"

"It simply will be much like how things were when I first arrived."

"Were you happy then?"

"No… But I was not unhappy either."

"Running away is _not_ the answer!"

"The Communicator told me I had to find the true meaning of my name… My name is 'cold' and 'nothing'. I see now that by embracing my name I perhaps can have peace within myself once again."

"It won't work," Rakka said dejectedly. "You'll only make yourself more unhappy in the end."

"You may be right, but for now, at least, it is the path I have chosen to try. I will devote myself to the children."

"And what will you do about Ikari?"

"As I told you before, he is not my responsibility. I still have complete faith in you to help him free himself from being sin-bound."

"Rei… That's not what I meant. What about the two of you?"

Rei began to head out of the kitchen. "Goodbye, Sister. I must go retrieve my belongings from my old room."

* * *

"There's no way I'm moving into Rei's room!" Seika declared at dinner that night. 

"I think that's the right thing to do, or _not_ do, in this case," agreed Rakka. "Hopefully Rei will come to her senses when she sees she's just hurting herself more."

Hikari sighed. "I don't think any of us realized just how much all that's happened lately has affected her."

Kana nodded. "She hid it pretty well, but I guess it finally all got a little too overwhelming."

"Um-hmm," said Rakka. "I see now that she really doesn't know how to handle strong emotions very well yet."

"So it's all not just because of me and what happened last night?" asked Seika.

"No, no," said Hikari. "But it does seem that last night was the straw that broke the camel's back."

Seika's entire countenance drooped unhappily.

"It's not your fault," Rakka reminded her. "Rei's had to deal with a lot of stuff in the last few weeks. You had no way of knowing about any of that."

"And what about Ikari?" the New Feather then asked.

"Yeah," said Kana. "Where the heck is he?"

"Do you think he went back to the Factory?" Hikari asked.

"Someone should go check his room," Rakka suggested.

* * *

After dinner all four Haibane headed over to the East Tower. 

"That's what this situation needs!" declared Kana. "A show of solidarity and support!"

The others were surprised when, upon entering the Tower, Rakka turned right and headed towards Rei's room instead of going left towards Ikari's.

"Just as I expected," Rakka said glumly.

The door to Rei's room was open and a quick glance was all Rakka needed to see that Rei had moved out.

"How about Ikari's room?" Kana asked.

Hikari knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She cracked the door open to peer in and, finding the room unoccupied, then went inside.

"There's nothing in his closet," she noted.

"The dresser is empty too," Seika observed.

"That idiot," said Kana. "Looks like he's taken off alright."

"What should we do?" Hikari asked.

"There's nothing we can do. If he's gone back to the Factory then that's where he belongs. Who are we to tell him otherwise?"

"But he was happier here."

"And so was Rei," Rakka observed.

"Yeah, I suppose I can't argue with you there," Kana agreed. "Still, it's not our place to tell him he should come back."

"But we shouldn't just let him go without saying anything," said Seika. "He'll think we don't care."

"Can we really care where he lives? After all, he doesn't really belong here."

"It's not about caring where he lives," Hikari said. "It's about caring about him."

"And we all do care about him, don't we?" asked Rakka.

Kana nodded. "Okay, then, what should we do?"

"Why don't you and I go over to the factory on your scooter and see him?" Rakka suggested.

"What, now?"

"You have any other pressing plans?" Hikari asked.

"Geez."

* * *

"Must we?" Kana asked as Rakka and she approached the main door to the Factory. 

"We're here now."

"I just hope we don't run into Midori."

"Me too."

Rakka opened the door quietly and stepped inside. "Do you remember where Ikari's room is?"

"Nope."

"Then I guess we have to announce ourselves," Rakka concluded. "Hello!" she then called out. "Anyone here?"

Moments later Dai appeared, much to the relief of the Old Home Haibane.

"Hey, Rakka, Kana! What brings you here?"

"It's nice to see you again, Dai," Rakka said to the former Little Feather. "We're here to see Ikari."

"Ikari? But he's staying with you at Old Home, isn't he?"

"You haven't seen him the last couple of days?" Kana asked.

Dai shook his head. "Did he leave Old Home or something?"

Rakka nodded. "Yes, he did."

"Well, unless he's trying really hard to avoid everyone I don't think he came back here… You can check his room if you want, though."

Dai then led them upstairs to Ikari's room.

"Nope, he hasn't been here," Kana concluded when a quick inspection showed Ikari's clothes were absent.

"He must've gone to stay with the couple who own the music shop," Dai told them.

"Yeah, I figured that too," said Rakka.

"So why did Ikari up and leave?" Dai asked as they headed back down to the door.

"He and Rei had a little misunderstanding," Kana confided.

"Oh, that's too bad," Dai said. "He really likes her, so I hope they can straighten things out."

"So do we," Rakka replied.

"Ikari is so moody."

"Tell us about it," said Kana.

"Say, how's your New Feather doing?" Dai asked as they reached the door.

"Seika? You should come visit and meet her," said Rakka. "I think you two could be good friends."

"Okay, I'll do that sometime," Dai said as he waved goodbye and then shut the door.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Kana remarked as they walked back to the scooter. "Do you want to head over to the music shop?"

"No, it's getting kind of late for that." Rakka replied. "Maybe Hikari and you can stop by there tomorrow and see him."

"Oh, joy."

* * *

"I am very concerned about the situation with Feather Ikari," Reki said to one of her Guardian superiors. 

"Indeed," her elder compatriot responded. "Given the gravity of the possible outcomes, we all are."

"I worry that he may again do something rash and foolish. We may have to intercede if that happens."

"There is really only one course of action on his part that would be serious enough for us to have to intervene, and, if that does happen, we are _not allowed_ to do so."

"But he could die."

"Yes, he could die."

"Shouldn't an exception be made in that case?"

"Only Father can decide that. Otherwise, the rule is sacrosanct. It is our most scared Law."

"But humanity could be doomed to nothingness… and all because of a minor and selfish action by a young girl."

"The reasons for the behavior of the New Feather goes far beyond just herself, and those reasons are not flattering for humanity. It was because of human selfishness, cold-heartedness and lust that a child like her had to prostitute herself to survive, such as she did, on Earth. If her acting on her engrained habits in Gehinnom results in the damnation of humanity, it will simply be further proof that humanity deserved to be damned."

"Is that how Father sees it?"

"Has he intervened?"

"No, not yet."

"Then we must assume that it is how he sees it."

* * *

The next day, during their lunch breaks, Hikari and Kana entered the music shop where Ikari worked. 

"Wel…" he started to say and then trailed off.

"Surprised to see us?" Kana asked.

"I'm not coming back, if that's what you want to know," Ikari said bluntly.

Hikari put her hands on her hips with a huff. "Is that any way to be?" she asked. "We came here because everyone at Old Home is worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"Don't…"

"Just leave it alone, Hikari," Kana interrupted. "We came here and told him we're concerned and he clearly doesn't give a shit… Let's go."

"Alright," Hikari relented, but then turned just before going out the door.

"Aren't you at least going to ask about Rei?" she asked Ikari pointedly.

"I'm sure she's just fine," Ikari said sadly.

"No, she's not!" Hikari shot back angrily. "If you cared about her you'd come back and patch things up with her!"

"I… I do care," Ikari admitted. "I care a lot, but all I do is cause her grief. It's better this way."

Hikari shook her head. "Just like her," she muttered. "Come on, Kana. Let's get back to work."

After the door had closed Ikari went up to his room and cried.

Late that night, having decided on a course of action, he slipped out of the music shop, a hat hiding his halo.

* * *

The following Sunday was another bright, beautiful day. 

After lunch Rei brought the Little Feathers out into the courtyard to play. It was the first time she had left the South Wing since moving there.

Seeing Rei, Rakka hurriedly finished hanging up her laundry and went over to her.

"Hi, Rei! How are you feeling?"

Rei looked up at her, her face once again an emotionless mask. "I am well," she said in a voice that was equally devoid of feeling.

"Oh, Rei… Must you act this way?"

"I am not acting… It is taking a great deal of effort for me to maintain a manageable emotional state."

"You'd be happier if you moved back with us."

"No, I do not believe so. The Little Feathers bring me happiness and, though some may leave over time, there will be New Feathers, so they will always be with me."

"You make it sound like we've abandoned you. But we haven't. You've abandoned _us_."

"Yes, I suppose that is a fair characterization."

"We miss you."

"And I miss you. However, these feelings will fade with time."

Rakka was about to say something more when Rei stood and clapped her hands to get the Little Feathers' attention.

"Let us all go for a walk over to the windmills," she suggested to her enthusiastic audience.

'_There she goes running away again,'_ Rakka thought unhappily as she watched them leave.

* * *

_That night in her dreams Rei again found herself standing in the now-familiar pool of LCL. She turned and saw that Lilith had once again impinged on her sleep._

_"You will anger the Guardian," Rei told her._

_"Is that actual _concern _for my wellbeing, daughter?"_

_"It is merely a statement of fact."_

_"I see," Lilith replied with a nod and a smile. "Then here is a 'statement of fact' for you: You are being foolish."_

_"How so?"_

_"In Glie you are free from your creators and yet you have chosen to shut yourself away just as they locked you away before."_

_"This time it is my choice."_

_"But I want you to live! Truly live!"_

_"Why do you…"_

_Rei suddenly felt a protective arm embrace her around her shoulders from behind._

_"You were warned to leave this Feather be!" she heard Reki say gravely._

_Reki raised her hand above her head to summon her sword, which she then leveled at Lilith. "Leave now!"_

_Lilith scoffed. "You do not worry me."_

_"We shall see," Reki responded menacingly as she moved forward until the tip of her sword was almost under Lilith's chin. "Be gone!"_

_"And if I refuse?" Lilith asked with haughty indifference as she studied the nails on her right hand._

_"In the name of our Father!" Reki cried as she drew back her flaming blade and then swung it at the Angel's neck. However, instead of decapitating her foe it merely passed harmlessly through her._

_Lilith laughed heartily. "You must be new at this… As I once told my daughter, this is but a dream. Like you, I do not exist here physically, so all your efforts are wasted."_

_As if to reinforce her point Lilith's dress instantly morphed from mirroring Rei's nightshirt to copying Reki's robe, even to the point of including wings.__  
_

_"Do you see now?"_

_"Yes, I see," Reki said and then vanished._

_"My, that was easy," Lilith declared with a chuckle, thinking her foe vanquished._

However, on Earth, in the sky high above the ruins of what was once the fortress city of Tokyo-3, Reki appeared in a flash of light. She saw, looming above her, the gigantic white form of Lilith rising towards space, surrounded by her retinue of mass-production Evangelions.

_'The Third Eye would make a fitting target,'_ she thought as she hurtled towards her foe at a speed that would have ripped a mortal human apart.

_'By the time her protectors notice me, it will be far too late for them to react.'_

She smiled.

Moments later, with her sword drawn in front of her, she plunged into the Angel's forehead.

_Rei gasped in surprise as Reki materialized beside her once again._

_The Guardian looked down and saw Lilith on her hands and knees, one hand pressed to her head just above and between her eyes._

_"You see now what I am capable of doing," Reki said triumphantly. "While it is true that you may not have a corporeal body here, elsewhere that is not the case… And, like you, I can move between worlds. Remember too that I can also always call upon others to aid me if I feel the need."_

_"This will not deter me," Lilith spat as she sat up. "I will have my way!" she thundered and then was gone._

_"Now I must send you ho…" Reki began to say before a tearful Rei almost knocked the wind out of her with a hug._

_"Thank you," Rei said to her, her red eyes shining._

_Reki returned the embrace. "I am a woman of my word. I will do all I can to keep you safe."_

_"She is evil incarnate! You must destroy her!"_

_"Father has not given me the knowledge to do so."_

_Rei looked up at Reki again, this time her eyes flaming with hatred. "I know how," she said coldly._

_"Oh?"_

_"Within her body, probably near where a human's heart would be, is a spherical organ that generates her life force. Pierce it and she dies."_

_"And you know this how?"_

_"That is what we Evangelion pilots did."_

_Reki was taken aback. "You killed beings like her?"_

_Rei nodded. "But I was nowhere near as adept as Shinji-kun was."_

_"I see," Reki said with a chuckle. "Is that part of why you love him?"_

_The dream Rei blushed. "No, that is not why. Indeed, far from it… How he was in his Eva… unnerved… me." Her expression became somewhat wistful. "And yet, having him beside me in battle was a great comfort. Because of him I did not feel fear. I knew that with him there everything would be alright."_

_"Then you should return to him."_

_"But…"_

Rei sat up. Momentarily disoriented, she looked around her to see the Little Feather girls all peacefully asleep in their beds.

_'Of course… I have moved into their dormitory,'_ she reminded herself. She looked at the bed next to hers and saw Hana's freckled face.

She smiled and lay back down.

'Yes. This is where I belong.'

* * *

Several weeks passed without any significant changes in Rei's behavior, finally prompting Rakka to speak to the Communicator.

"I'm at a loss as to what to do, Washi," she told him. "Rei has shut herself off from all of us."

"It is indeed a sad situation."

"With Nemu's leaving and everything, it was all too much for her I guess."

"Though I understand your feelings, I do not think you need to worry about her."

"How can you say that?"

"She thinks that by hiding herself away her emotions will again die away as well. However, trying to tamp them down as she is attempting to do will only make them stronger."

"That's what I'm worried about!"

The Communicator nodded. "Something will have to give way inside her."

"And that doesn't worry you?"

"No. It is called growth."

* * *

A few nights later, Reki stood invisible atop the Wall looking down as Ikari came up the small path through the rocks that led to its base. 

_'It is treacherous up here,'_ she noted. _'But at least he had the sense to wait until a clear night with a full moon.'_

_'He has been very thorough about this,'_ she concluded as she watched Ikari go about his task. _'Far, far more thorough than Hyouko and I were.'_

The thought did not please Reki in the least.

As she looked on Ikari laid out the materials he had brought to the Wall and hidden away over the previous few weeks: large metal spikes that disturbingly reminded Reki of those used on railroad ties, a long coil of rope, a sizeable hammer and a chisel.

'He must have stolen most of these things from a construction site… That's something else he will have to be disciplined for if he survives.'

Reki also noted that Ikari had dressed himself appropriately, with strong boots and heavy work gloves that he obviously hoped would help shield him from the Wall's effects by preventing him from coming in direct contact with it.

His preparations complete, Ikari looked up at the Wall with a heavy sigh. Then, putting the chisel to the surface of the Wall, he raised his hammer.

Reki winced as he struck the first blow. _'He has violated the inviolable. May Father have mercy on him.'_

A few whacks later, Ikari had produced what he thought was a satisfactory niche in the stone surface of the Wall. Putting the tip of one of the spikes into the slot he then proceeded to drive it into the Wall. When he was finished he stepped on the spike to see if it would support his weight. He smiled when it did.

Repeating the process over and over Ikari began to fashion a makeshift ladder that angled up the side of the ten meter tall Wall. With a speed that surprised Reki he was soon over half way up.

As she watched him, Reki grew ever more agitated. _'If only I could show myself… That alone would be enough to scare him away… But I am not allowed to interfere. The Wall is absolute. Those who challenge it must suffer the consequences.'_

Then an idea came to her frantic mind. _'I may not interfere… but someone else…'_

She shook her head. _'That would be following the letter of the Law, not its spirit… but it is all I have.'_ She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. _'I will probably be punished for this… I may even be banished to Gehinnom again to suffer forever… But at least my conscience will be clear. Humanity deserves to survive.'_

* * *

In her bed at Old Home Rei stirred as if she was having a very vivid dream. Suddenly, she sat upright almost as if she had been given an electric shock. 

'What was that? It was like a voice. A voice I know… but cannot place.'

Again, even though she was now awake, the voice came to her. "Hurry," it whispered. "Ikari is trying to escape from Glie."

Rei's eyes grew wide as the voice repeated itself a third time. She bolted from her bed and rushed over to the West Wing, where she ran up the stairs to Rakka's room.

She pounded on the door. "Rakka! Wake up!"

"What is it?" Rakka asked groggily as she opened the door still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Tell me! Where is the Wall the shortest?"

"Wha… It's the middle of the night. Why do you need to know that now?"

"Ikari is trying to scale the Wall to escape from Glie!"

Rakka's head instantly cleared. "How do you know that?"

Rei suddenly became pensive. "Well?" Rakka asked.

"A-A voice came to me in my sleep."

"A voice?"

Rei nodded.

Rakka sighed. "Well, crazier things have happened in Glie."

Rei threw her arms around her friend. "Thank you for believing me!"

Rakka could not help but smile. _'Now _this_ is the Rei I know.'_

"So where is the Wall the shortest?" Rei again asked.

"Do you know that's where he is?"

Rei shook her head. "No, but it is the most logical place to look first."

Rakka thought for a moment. "In the hills near the Temple and past the Graveyard, that's where it's shortest."

Rei turned to leave. "How are you going to get there?" Rakka asked.

"I was going to take Hikari's bicycle."

"What about Kana's scooter? It'd be lots faster."

"I… I do not know how to use it."

"I do… And she always leaves the keys in it! You go get some proper clothes and shoes on and I'll meet you there."

* * *

Reki shook her head in disbelief as she watched Ikari again fall to his knees and retch before he started back up the Wall with a new spike in his hand. 

'The effects of the Wall increase rapidly in strength as you go higher, and, yet, he is able to bear them… Even a human should be incapacitated by now... I would never have expected him to show such determination if I hadn't known about him being an 'Eva' pilot. When he wants to be he can be an almost entirely different person… No wonder Ayanami found this ability disquieting. There is an air of ruthlessness in the way he is pushing himself… I see now how he could have been an effective killer. He can even show himself no mercy.'

Reki raised her head and looked off into the distance. With her Guardian's vision she had seen the faint headlight on her old scooter leave Old Home and head in her direction. However, because of the intervening hills she could now only guess as to where it was.

'Hurry, Rei, hurry.'

* * *

Rakka felt Rei's arms gripping her tightly as the scooter headed up towards the Cemetery and she smiled once more. _'At least Rei's letting herself show some emotion again.'_

"Do you think we will be in time to stop him?" Rei asked.

"There's no way to know until we find him."

"The Wall… what will it do to him?"

Rakka felt a chill go through her just thinking about her own experience with merely innocently touching the Wall.

"He… he could die."

"Can we go any faster?"

* * *

_'Almost superhuman,'_ Reki thought as Ikari finished driving the last spike into the Wall. _'He cannot actually succeed, can he? If he does get up here humanity's fate is sealed no matter what else may happen, as I cannot imagine the Wall will allow him to survive a moment longer.' _

She watched him go back down his ladder and collapse to the ground once more. _'Perhaps it has finally become too much for him,'_ she earnestly hoped, only to see him get to his feet once again.

Ikari tied one end of the rope around his waist and started back up the ladder.

'Clever… This way he can bring the rope up without having to carry its full weight. Then he can just pull it up and use it to climb down the far side.'

Reki could only guess what the reckoning would be for Ikari if he actually made it onto the top of the Wall. _'It will definitely be something truly horrible and long-lasting.'_ She decided she could not let that happen and beckoned her sword into her hand._ 'If his head clears the top of the Wall I will have to take it off. Perhaps then his soul's punishment will be less severe.'_

At that moment she heard voices and saw a pair of flashlights coming up the path.

"There he is!" she heard Rakka call out to Rei. "Ikari! Come down!"

Rei felt utterly panicked when she saw Ikari in the beam of Rakka's flashlight, far up on the Wall. _'He is doing this because of _me_.'_

Reki saw the sweat running down Ikari's face as he ignored Rakka's calls and focused his entire being into climbing the last few feet.

Rei tried her best to hurry over the rocks towards Ikari as he reached for the edge of the top of the Wall.

Reki raised her fiery blade. "In the name of our Father," she whispered.

When his gloved hand came down at Reki's feet Ikari gasped and his eyes grew wide while his pupils contracted. Slowly his body slumped.

Rei felt as if her heart would stop when she saw him start to fall away from the Wall.

"Sh-Sh-Shinji!"

* * *

ZOMG! An Omake!

_'If only I could show myself,'_ Reki thought._ 'This little twerp would shit his pants and run home to Momma.'_

She contemplated the situation for a while longer and came to a decision. _'Oh, well… Nothing to lose by trying.'_

As Ikari neared the top of the Wall she materialized above him, wings spread, shining in all her glory.

"Going somewhere, buster?"

Ikari looked up, gasped and promptly fell over backwards to his death.

"Oops. Backfired."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Bam! All of Rei's defenses come back up. Then they all come crashing down again… and then some.

Shinji switches from "fight" mode back to "flight" mode in a big way as well. And, as usual, it doesn't help things.

Just why did Lilith send Rei to Glie in the first place? To, as she said, 'keep Shinji company'? Hardly.

The 'Third Eye' is a notion from Eastern religions. Statues of the Buddha usually show it. For most people it is a spot on their foreheads just above and between the eyebrows that is unusually sensitive to pressure. In Hinduism and yogic traditions it is a chakra.

"The Wall is absolute" is something the Communicator says to Reki when she is surprised by Rakka's feeling the Wall's effects even when she only innocently touched it with her hand. And what were the effects of touching the Wall? That was mentioned in Chapter Seven.

The final scene here is pretty much how I envisioned it when I started this story way back when. From here on, though, except for the end, everything is terra incognita, but I suppose I'll find a way to get from A to B.

"Oops. Backfired," is something Reki says to Kana in the anime when a point she was trying to make is missed.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

--------------------

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 12: Into the Abyss / Confessions / Fight for Life**

Rakka looked up and saw Ikari go limp and then begin to fall away from the Wall.

'_If I can get under him I can break his fall a little with my body,'_ she thought as she scrambled towards the base of the Wall.

She was nearly below him when she saw what to her looked like a faint net of orange lines appear briefly under Ikari, which seemed to catch him and slow his fall.

She watched in disbelief as his prone form drifted slowly to the ground, almost like a feather.

"Rei!" she cried as she turned towards her friend. "Did you see tha…"

Several yards behind her, Rei was on her hands and knees, breathing hard, one arm extended as if she was trying to grab Ikari as he fell. Rakka stepped back with a small gasp when she realized that Rei's eyes seemed to be shining dimly with a light of their own.

"What did you… How?"

Gathering herself, Rakka hurried over to Ikari's side.

"Can you hear me?" she asked as she gently shook his shoulder.

Ikari cracked open his eyes as a rivulet of blood trickled out his nose. "Rakka? Is that you?"

"Yes," she answered just before she was almost knocked aside by Rei.

"Shin… Ikari! Are you alright?"

"Rei?"

"Yes, I am here," she answered as one of her tears splashed onto Ikari's cheek.

He reached up weakly and touched her face. "Did we make it?"

"Make it?"

"Over the Wall?"

"No, you did not make it. You were extremely foolish to even try."

As Rei spoke Rakka pulled off the work gloves Ikari was wearing. As she had anticipated, his hands were ice cold.

"Can you feel my hands?" she asked him as she rubbed one of his between hers.

"Yeah, a bit," he said with a slight nod.

"That's good… Do you think you can stand? We've got to get you back to Old Home as fast as we can!"

Together Rakka and Rei wrestled Ikari to his feet and helped him down towards Kana's scooter.

"It's strange," he said in a slurred voice. "It's like my feet are asleep. I can't feel the ground."

Finally arriving at their destination after a great deal of stumbling, the two girls somehow managed to squeeze Ikari in between them on the scooter's two seats and headed off to Old Home.

As they left Rei looked back over her shoulder at the Wall. For a moment, when she first had used her abilities to slow Ikari's fall, she could have sworn she had seen someone atop it.

'_A woman… in white robes, with long dark hair.'_ A shiver went down her spine as she recalled the phantom's flaming sword. '_And yet, she seemed familiar.'_ Rei shook her head. '_But the way she just disappeared… I must have imagined her being there in the first place. No one is allowed onto the Wall.'_

Behind her, however, standing in the first light of dawn, Reki watched them leave and sighed with relief.

'_I have done all I can… I hope, for the sake of humanity, that they can save him.'_

Her attention was then drawn to the Wall as the spikes Ikari had driven into it slipped out one by one as the Wall healed itself from his assault. Within moments all traces of his efforts had disappeared.

'_Now I must face my own reckoning,'_ the young Guardian thought as she vanished.

--------------------

"Have you got him?" Rakka asked Rei as they both slipped one of Ikari's arms over their shoulders.

Rei nodded.

"Easy now," Rakka said as they worked their way up to the guest room.

"It would be easier to take him to his own room," Rei observed as they found the stairs difficult going.

"I know, but we'll need some of the stuff in the kitchen to take care of him, so it's better to just take him up here now."

"We will wake Seika."

"It can't be helped."

They entered the guest room as quietly as possible. As they had expected, Seika was still curled up fast asleep in the bed. Even turning on the lights did not rouse her.

"Seika, wake up," Rakka said quietly as she lightly shook the New Feather's shoulder.

"Ummm… Rakka?" she asked, opening one eye sleepily. "What is it?"

"We need the bed. It's an emergency."

Seika sat up alertly upon hearing that last word. "What's the matter?" She looked over and saw Rei supporting Ikari. "My God! What happened?"

"Ikari tried to climb the Wall," Rei told her frankly.

"Seika, give me a hand getting him out of his clothes while Rei holds him up," Rakka requested.

Seika immediately leapt from of the bed and helped them work Ikari out of his dirty, wet, vomit-spattered clothes.

"Just leave his underwear on," Rakka said as she slid his pants down.

"Why?" Seika asked. "Aren't they damp too?"

"This is Ikari," Rakka answered. "If he wakes up and realizes we saw him naked he'll probably faint."

Seika and Rakka both laughed and then the trio eased Ikari into the bed.

"Seika'll have made the bed nice and warm," Rakka observed.

Rei felt Ikari's forehead. It was cold and clammy to the touch. "Is keeping him warm important?"

"I really don't know," Rakka admitted. "But it can't hurt given the way he is."

"We have two hot water bottles over in the South Wing. Should I retrieve them?"

Rakka nodded. "That's probably a good idea. I'll get some water going on the stove."

As Rei headed out the door she stopped and turned to Seika. "Perhaps it would help if you got back into bed with him."

Seika could not believe what she was hearing after all that had happened. "You want me to get in bed… with Ikari?"

"Your body heat will help keep him warm," Rei answered and then left without waiting for a reply.

Hesitantly Seika slid back under the covers.

"Rei?" Ikari mumbled hazily.

Seika did not say anything as she snuggled up next to him.

--------------------

Having set the kettle to boiling, Rakka came over and sat on the bed across from Seika.

"I think he's asleep," the Newborn whispered.

"I wish I knew if that was good or bad."

"What's wrong with him anyway?"

"He's got the Wall sickness."

"Wall sickness?"

Rakka nodded. "It's what happens to Haibane if they challenge the Wall in any way… Do you remember how I told you how I almost died from just touching it?"

"Um-hmm. You told me about it when you warned me to steer clear of the Wall."

"Well, what Ikari did was much worse. He violated the Wall with intent… I don't know if anything can save him."

"Did this not happen to Brother Hyouko as well?" another voice asked.

Rakka turned and saw that Rei had quietly returned.

"Yeah, when he and Reki tried to climb the Wall."

"He survived," Rei said optimistically.

"From what I understand he only just made it… And I don't think he got nearly as far as Ikari did."

"Does that make a difference?"

"I think so. I imagine the effects of the Wall must get stronger as you go up, otherwise it would be pretty easy to climb, especially for humans. Ikari made it all the way to the top so I think he's suffered the worst the Wall can do to someone."

The somewhat hopeful look on Rei's face collapsed. "Then Ikari is much sicker than Hyouko was?"

"I'm sorry, Rei, but I think that's how it is, yes."

"What about the medicine?"

"You know about that?"

"I saw it in your file when we made the infusion for Ikari's wings."

"I see… Well, as soon as it's light enough I'm going up to the Temple. The herbs we need for it all grow in the garden there."

"I shall come with you."

Rakka shook her head. "No," she said firmly, surprising both Rei and Seika with her tone. "You should stay here with him. You're his strongest link to this world."

"I do not understand."

Rakka looked back over at Ikari. "Soon he's going to start to feel like he's sort of fading away. When that happens I think having someone he feels a bond with will help keep him here."

"Fading away?"

"That's the best I can describe it… When you have the sickness it feels like you're being drawn somewhere else."

"To where?"

"To your death, I think. If we don't cure him I really believe Ikari will literally just fade away."

--------------------

After helping Rei fill the hot water bottles Rakka headed out the door. "I'll be back as fast as I can."

"Do not be reckless" Rei advised her as she hurried towards the stairs.

Rei then walked over and sat on the bed.

'_Ikari Shinji, the Third Child… Pilot of the test-type Evangelion, Unit One.'_

Rei did not know what to make of most of the fragmentary memories that seemed to have surfaced as a result of her panicking and using her powers at the Wall. However, one thing she now knew for certain was how she was connected to Ikari before coming to Glie.

'_I am Ayanami Rei, the First Child, pilot of the prototype Evangelion, Unit Zero.'_

She frowned. '_Unit Rei… How… apt.'_

"Are you alright?" Seika asked quietly, bringing Rei out of her dark thoughts.

Rei refocused her attention on Ikari, whose skin was now almost as pale as her own. "No, Sister… I am far from alright," she admitted as she pulled down the bedcovers and put the hot water bottles on Ikari's chest and abdomen.

Seika saw Rei's lower lip begin to quiver and tears well up in her eyes, so she reached over and took one of Rei's hands in her own. "He'll be okay," she said, giving Rei's hand a gentle sympathetic squeeze. "You'll help him just like you helped me. Remember that you're strong."

Rei gripped Seika's hand firmly in return. "You have been talking to Rakka too much," she replied as a tear slid down her face. "I am not strong at all."

"Feeling emotions is not the same as being weak."

Rei found the New Feather's words jarring. '_She… She is right,'_ Rei eventually concluded to her astonishment. '_Rakka is exceedingly emotional, but she is also very strong. Kana and Hikari are strong as well… But can I be? They have been dealing with their emotions for far longer than I have. I lack their experience.'_

Rei then remembered the word of the Communicator, _"You must only try."_

Rei smiled slightly at Seika. "You are already a very good Haibane. Your words have helped me."

Seika blushed at the compliment. "It's only the truth."

"Perhaps, but knowing the right moment to express it is a gift."

"If what I said helped you feel better then I'm glad. I owe you so much."

Rei again squeezed Seika's hand. "You owe me nothing. I simply did what an Haibane should."

Rei now turned her attention to the clock on the wall with a sigh.

"What it is?" Seika asked.

"It is almost time for me to go help with the Little Feathers' breakfast, but Rakka told me not to leave Ikari."

"I'll go over there for you! The Housemother can tell me what I need to do."

"I… I would appreciate that."

"And you can take my place here!"

Rei colored as Seika jumped up and guided her over to the other side of the bed.

"I… I…"

"Oh, come on, Rei!" Seika said with a laugh at the tables now being turned. "It's just to help keep him warm," she teased.

"But…"

"Are you… _afraid_?" Seika asked seriously.

"It seems… too intimate."

"You didn't mind me hopping in bed with him."

"You are innocent."

"Ha! Me? Innocent? I tried to sleep with him, remember?"

"But that was because of how you were feeling about yourself, not because of how you felt about him."

"Humph," said Seika as she crossed her arms in front of her. "I don't get you at all sometimes. Don't you want to be close to him?"

"I… I _am_ afraid."

"Thought so."

Seika came up behind Rei and peered over her shoulder at Ikari. "I've been watching the way you look at him," she said softly. "There's a lot more than just concern in your eyes… You really love him, don't you?"

An old memory flashed into Rei's mind. '_I wish to be one with Ikari_.' However, "I…" was again all she could manage to say.

"He needs you there next to him _right now_… How can you say no?"

Rei shook her head, thinking of the time she had refused to go to the Temple with Ikari and Rakka, and the shame she had felt at Rakka's rebuke. "You are right. I cannot."

Seika smiled happily as Rei finally slid gingerly beneath the covers. She then hurried to get dressed for her trip over to the South Wing. When she was done she came back over to the bed.

"Have you ever told him how you feel about him?" she asked.

Rei blushed again. "I have not."

"Then now would be a good time," the New Feather said and then skipped out the door.

--------------------

Rei turned on her side and looked at Ikari's sleeping face. "Do not leave me," she whispered.

Moments later, as if in reaction to her voice, Ikari stirred. "Rei? Are you still there?"

"I am right here. I will not leave your side."

Shinji turned his face towards her. "I can't really see you," he said. "Everything's blurry."

"Rakka has gone to get what she needs to make you some medicine. You should rest as much as you can until she returns."

"Are we at Old Home?"

"Yes. We brought you back here so we could care for you."

"My body feels really light," he said to Rei's great dismay. "I almost feel like I'm going to float away."

Rei began to reach across him to pull him into a hug, but her hand stopped in midair and then pulled back.

'_I… I still cannot do this… I am… a coward.'_

Again she remembered the Communicator's directive. '_Yes, I must try. I must push past my limitations._' She then willed her hand across to his shoulder. When she touched him she released the breath she had not even realized she had been holding with a long sigh.

"I will hold you here next to me so you cannot leave," she told him softly.

Tears again came to her as Ikari's eyes once more drifted shut. "I… I love you, Shinji," she managed through the lump in her throat.

--------------------

"Yo!" Kana shouted across the courtyard to Hikari as her pony-tailed friend came out of the East Tower. She then trotted over to join her on the walk to breakfast.

"And how're you this morning?" Hikari asked.

"I'm gr… Hey! Where's my scooter?" Kana asked sharply as she noticed it was missing from its usual parking spot next to the south gate.

"Well, don't look at me," Hikari said lightheartedly.

"Rakka must've gone somewhere with it. Seika and Rei don't know how to use it."

"I'm sure she had a good reason for taking it."

"Yeah, but I wonder what it could be? It must have been something really urgent for her to take it without at least asking me first."

Hikari shrugged as they headed up the stairs of the West Wing. "Maybe she just didn't want to wake you."

"Yeah, maybe," Kana agreed. "You know, it's awfully quiet. I hope Seika didn't oversleep. She's supposed to cook this morning."

Both girls were startled by what they found as they entered the guest room.

"Well, I'll be," Kana whispered.

Rei's lack of sleep had caught up with her and she was now slumbering beside Ikari, her head resting on his shoulder.

"That's _so_ sweet," said Hikari quietly. She gave Kana a gentle tug on the sleeve and motioned with her head that they should leave.

"I never thought I'd see that," Kana said with a shake of her head as they came back out into the courtyard.

"It makes me so happy!" Hikari exclaimed. "It's about time those two got together."

"I wonder if this has anything to do with my missing scooter."

"Do you think Seika went with Rakka somewhere? But where would they have to go in such a hurry?"

Kana shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe they went to get the Registrar from town for Rei and Ikari."

Hikari playfully hit Kana on the arm. "Don't be so silly! They're not getting married!"

"You so sure?" Kana asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you," Hikari answered with an exaggerated sigh. "Anyway, let's just head into town on my bike and get something to eat there. I'm sure we'll get some answers at some point today."

"I wonder if it's okay for Haibane to get married?" Kana asked as they headed out the gate.

--------------------

_In his sleep Ikari found himself in a familiar situation – sinking down and down in his cocoon dream.__As always he struggled vainly against the force pulling him ever lower. And, as usual, he felt his hatred and rage against the one he had come to call the Observer grow just as his fear did.__Soon, however, Shinji realized that unlike his previous dreams this one felt particularly lucid, almost as if he were actually fully awake. And, just as despair had driven him to try to escape Glie by climbing the Wall, he now decided for the first time to fully give in to the despair he felt in his dream by releasing the last of the air he felt in his burning lungs._ '_If I'm going to drown in this dream I might as well get it over with once and for all,' he thought as he inhaled the golden liquid surrounding him… and then discovered he could breathe it._ '_What is this stuff?'__Now that he realized he was not going to drown a strange sense of calm suddenly washed through him._ '_Have I been wrong about my dream all this time? Is it really something that shouldn't frighten me?'__Then, as he sank further and further into the gloom, he began to make out something below him. First he became aware of a pair of dim green lights that got progressively brighter as he descended. Soon he could begin to make out that the lights were actually the eyes of some enormous one-horned humanoid creature, looking up at him with its mouth agape and arms outstretched as if reaching for him. Panic once again gripped him as he realized the chain pulling him down ran directly into the purple behemoth's mouth.__He renewed his desperate struggle to escape only to be quickly pulled into the beast's gaping maw, which then clamped shut behind him, leaving him in total darkness._

--------------------

"So, you chose to meddle?" the elder Guardian asked her charge rhetorically.

"Yes… and no," Reki responded. "I didn't interfere directly, but I prompted one of the Haibane to."

"Do you think that distinction is of any import as far as the Law is concerned?"

"By the letter, yes… But, morally… no."

"We who are given Authority by Father should not concern ourselves with the petty playing of semantic games."

Reki hung her head. "I know… I therefore admit my guilt. I have again broken the sacred Law of the Wall and await my punishment."

"Justice is reserved for Father to mete out."

Reki stood rigidly in silence as her wings slowly disappeared and her robes faded to a dull grey.

"For the time being you have been relieved of your Authority and must remain here," the elder said gravely. "Father will decide what your final sentence, if any, is to be once the events you have set in motion in Glie have played themselves out."

"I understand," Reki replied solemnly.

"It will probably go better for you with Father if Feather Ikari dies, as he would have had you not interfered."

"But if he dies in Glie then his true body will die as well, and humanity's fate will be sealed! I cannot say I prefer that outcome no matter what may then happen to me."

The elder nodded. "It is good to see you so fully keep your selflessness in the face of Father's impending judgment. I am sure that Father will take your being motivated by compassion in this matter into account."

"If I may ask, who will be tending to my duties while I am suspended?"

"No one, at least until we see whether Feather Ikari lives or dies."

"What?" Reki asked in shock. "That will leave Rei and Ikari vulnerable to Lilith's scheming!"

"Then let this be a lesson to you that when you shirk your responsibilities there can be unforeseen consequences."

"But…"

"She cannot do them bodily harm. Have faith in them to deal with her appropriately if she again chooses to disobey Father's wishes."

"I am most concerned with how she might affect Ikari in his weakened state. She may take this opportunity to push him towards the outcome she would prefer."

--------------------

Reki's fears were well founded.

_"Shinji… Oh, Shinji."__Ikari looked around him in the black nothingness his cocoon dream had deposited him in. "Who's there?" he asked fearfully.__A faint feminine form began to swirl around him, slowly gaining substance.__"Ayanami?"__The image immediate solidified in front of him. "Guess again," Lilith said with a faux smile.__Shinji said nothing.__"Do you like it here in the cold and dark?"__"No! Of course not!"__Lilith smiled again and the simple outlines of her body became more distinct.__Shinji swallowed audibly when he realized she was nude before him.__"Well, now… I see you like this body," she purred seductively and then chuckled. "Of course you do… You're a healthy teenaged boy after all. You've been lusting over it since the first time you set eyes on it when you arrived in Tokyo-3."__"That's not true!"__"Oh come now… There's no need to hide how you feel. It's only natural... So, tell me, would you like to feel these breasts again?"__"Why are you being this way?" Shinji asked anxiously.__Lilith floated up to Shinji. "If you come with me, you may have me," she whispered in his ear.__"Come with you?"__"Yes… Away from this place."__"But you told me I couldn't leave Glie now."__Lilith chuckled again. "I meant away from this dream, silly boy… Now that I'm finally here in the dream with you, I can make it so you never have it again."__"You can?"__"Yes, I can. I know how much you hate it, so come with me."__"To where?"__"Does it matter? It won't be here."__Shinji's mistrust and suspicions were immediately reinforced by her ambiguous reply. "You want something from me, don't you?" he asked pointedly. "Otherwise you'd just leave me alone like everyone else always does!"__"I only want to help you, Shinji," Lilith crooned as she held out her hand. "Come with me and you never have to come back here again."__"I… I don't believe you. You're an Angel!"__"I am the mother of all humanity. I want what is best for you… Try to see past those lies your father told you."__Shinji's eyes flared in anger at the mention of his sire. "He has nothing to do with it," he spat. "Misato hated you… _ Rei _hates you! I trust _them_."__With his mention of Rei's name a soft voice flashed in Shinji's mind. "Stay here with me," it whispered. "I… I love you, Shinji."__"Rei? Stay? Love?"__"What did you say?" Lilith responded in alarm.__But Shinji was already gone.__"No!" Lilith cried out in frustration. "I finally had him where I wanted him! I was so close!" she added angrily before she too disappeared._

--------------------

Shinji groaned as he opened his eyes, and found that his vision had not improved. A glance to his left showed a mix of blue and red that could only have been one thing.

"Rei."

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she looked down at him.

"I'm still here?"

"Yes, of course."

He wrinkled his nose. "What is that awful smell?"

"It is from the leaves Rakka is grinding up to make your medicine."

"Rakka?"

"Yes, I'm over here," said a brownish shape over where he knew the kitchen was. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"I don't really feel much of anything at all… except Rei's holding my hand."

"Rei hasn't let go of you for a few hours now."

"She hasn't?"

"I will hold you here next to me no matter what," the blue blur said.

Rakka laughed. "Rei cuddled up next to you in bed to keep you warm, but you're so cold I had to make her some tea to warm her back up!"

"Sorry," Ikari muttered.

Rei was glad he could not see her blush.

A few minutes later Rakka came over with a steaming mug. She tilted Ikari's head up so he could drink from it.

"Careful, it's hot," she warned.

He made a face at the first sip. "It's really bitter."

"I know," she said. "But you have to drink as much of it as you can."

Ikari seemed to fall back to sleep almost as soon has he had finished.

"Is it good for him to be sleeping so much?" Rei immediately asked.

"I have no idea," Rakka answered honestly. "When I was sick I slept a lot, even after I took the medicine."

"How much of the medicine did it take to cure you?"

"Just a few sips, but I wasn't anything like this sick."

"Why is his vision affected?"

"I think he can't see us well because he's not entirely here anymore."

Rei seemed to become even paler than usual at Rakka's words.

Rakka then sat down on the bed and took Ikari's other hand in hers. "Even with the hot water bottles he's still so cold."

"Being next to him seems to make me colder than it warms him, but I have nothing else to help him with besides my body."

"Wouldn't it work better if you took off your clothes too?"

"This... should be adequate," Rei said with a renewed blush.

"It's not like he hasn't already seen you naked."

"I know, but just being seen by him in the hallway and getting into bed with him are... different."

Rakka nodded. "I understand completely."

Rei drank the last of the tea Rakka had given her and slipped beneath the covers once again.

"You know, Rakka said. "When I was coming back from the Temple and I ran into Hikari and Kana going in to work, Hikari carried on and on about how cute you two looked cuddled up together," she added with a laugh, but then turned serious. "Well, she did until I told them what had happened."

"If only I could do more for him," Rei said softly as she hugged Ikari closer to her.

"You saved his life at the Wall."

"But I did nothing that you did not also do."

Rakka's expression tightened. "Don't lie to me Rei. I saw what you did."

"I…"

"How can you do things like that?"

Rei looked away, unable to meet Rakka's eyes. "The Communicator… forbade me to talk about it."

"How did he find out?"

"I cannot say."

Rakka nodded. "That's how you hurt that boy in town, isn't it?"

Rei decided there was no point trying to evade her friend any longer. Rakka had figured it all out for herself any way and was certain to ask the Communicator about it at her first opportunity.

"Yes," Rei therefore said with a small nod. "He attempted to punch me but I somehow put up a barrier between us without even thinking… His hand was broken when he hit it."

Rakka shook her head. "More Glie weirdness. I wonder if the rest of us can do it too, but just haven't been in a situation where we could."

"No, it has nothing to do with living in Glie or being an Haibane," Rei informed her. "You see… I am… I am not a true Haibane… or, perhaps more accurately, unlike the rest of you, I was not a true human being before I came here."

Rakka's eyes widened at Rei's confession. "But what were you then?"

"I am not certain. The memories I have are vague and disjointed."

"So you really do have memories of your past life?"

"Before now they were more like feelings than memories. However, at the Wall tonight several things that can only be actual memories surfaced."

"L-Like what?"

Rei did not like the way Rakka was looking at her. "Are you frightened of me now?" she asked sadly.

"No, of course not. It's just surprising, that's all… I know you, Rei. I know what's in your heart. I could never be afraid of you."

Rei smiled at Rakka's faith in her. "Thank you, Sister."

Rakka smiled back. "No problem… So, what do you remember?"

"I know some things about Ikari and myself."

"Really?"

Rei nodded. "Oddly enough, our names before included the names we have here. My name was Ayanami Rei and his was Ikari Shinji."

"Shinji? Isn't that the name you shouted when you had that nightmare the night Seika's wings came out?"

"Yes, it was."

Rakka could only shake her head again. "Amazing."

"And Nemu was right. I was a soldier… and so was Ikari."

"Ikari? A soldier? That's hard to believe."

"I agree it does not seem likely, given his personality, but we fought side by side."

"He's so meek. It must have been really rough on him."

"I think it was, but I have no specific memories in that regard."

"Do you remember anything about yourself and why you can do the things you can?"

"There are images in my mind that I cannot make any sense of, but I believe have something to do with what we were fighting. They were not other humans."

"Not humans?" Rakka asked in disbelief. "Then what were they?"

'_Angels,'_ Rei thought, but then said, "I do not know for certain… but I think I am somehow connected to them."

"Connected? How?"

"I wish I knew... then I might understand why I look the way I do and can do the things I can. Perhaps I was one of them."

"Is it important for you to know?"

"Is it surprising that I might wish to know as much about myself as I can?"

"Of course not. I just hope you don't worry about it too much. You may never be able to get the answers you want… And, besides, it doesn't change anything about your being a Haibane now."

"No, I suppose it does not."

Rakka smiled. "I'm glad to have you back here, Rei. I missed you."

Rei smiled in return. "I missed you as well."

"And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about any of this."

"Even the Communicator?"

"Even him."

"Thank you. You are a true friend."

--------------------

After assisting the Housemother with the Little Feather's lunch, Seika came back over to see if she could be of any help in the guest room. She found Rakka busy in the kitchen and Rei sitting on the bed holding Ikari's hand.

"Have you moved since I left this morning?" she asked Rei.

"No, she hasn't," Rakka answered.

"How is he?"

"The same… I've given him medicine twice, but I can't tell if it's helping him or not."

"But if he's the same wouldn't that mean it isn't?"

"Not if he would have gotten worse without it," Rei said. "The medicine is probably the only thing keeping him stable."

"Don't belittle yourself like that, Rei," Rakka admonished.

Seika plopped herself down on the bed across from Rei. "Hey, you idiot!" she said firmly but jokingly to Ikari. "Get over it already! Rei's aching for you!"

"Seika!" Rei responded, coloring.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

Rei looked away, now totally embarrassed. "I would not have put my feelings that way."

"Maybe you should! We've got to do something to get Ikari's motor running again!" Seika smiled slyly. "Perhaps it would help if you got in bed _naked_ with him."

Even Rakka could not help laughing as Rei looked down at her lap, clearly utterly mortified.

"Oh, Rei, I'm only teasing."

"I know… but I… I do wish to be one with him."

Now it was Seika's and Rakka's turns to blush.

"Have you told him that?" Seika asked.

"No," Rei responded. "But I did follow your advice this morning."

"You did?"

"Yes. I told him that I love him."

Seika clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful!"

"I do not think he heard me, however," Rei said. _'I did not have the courage to tell him when he was awake,'_ she added to herself.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to keep telling him until he does then!"

--------------------

A little while later Rei found herself alone with Ikari once again.

"Why can I not tell you how I feel?" she asked his unconscious form.

She looked down at his hand in hers. _'It took so much effort just to take hold of your hand.'_

Not for the first time Rei fought the urge to run from the room and never return. _'It was safe and calm living with the Little Feathers… Here there is so much pain… but there is also happiness and friendship.'_ She smiled slightly. _'And love.'_

She looked up as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Man, that shower felt good!" Rakka said happily as she came through the door. "How's your boyfriend doing?" she asked mischievously as she went over to the kitchen to start preparing the next batch of medicine.

"Please do not call him that."

Rakka could tell from Rei's expression that she did not find her remark at all amusing. "Then what is he to you now?" she asked sincerely.

_'My fellow pilot… my brother Feather… my love.'_ "Calling him my 'boyfriend' implies a reciprocation of feelings on his part. I only know that I love him."

"Can you doubt his feelings?"

"He has never articulated them to me. To assume he feels as I do would be presumptuous or even arrogant of me."

Rakka shook her head. "Yeah, I suppose telling you flat out would be the only way he could've been more obvious about it."

"What are you implying?"

"It's been clear for a while that he adores you, Rei. You're _very_ special to him."

"I find that difficult to believe. All I seem to do is bring pain into his life."

Rakka sighed. _'Always talking herself down. She still thinks she's worthless.'_

With the kettle now heating, Rakka came over to the bed and sat down next to Rei. "This must be so hard for you, to see him like this." She put her hand over Rei's and Ikari's. "Don't worry. With you here he'll make it."

"I wish I had your confidence."

A moment later Ikari stirred with a weak moan.

"Ikari?" Rei asked.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he managed.

Rakka ran back over to the kitchen and grabbed a small pail from under the sink. She got back to the bed just as Ikari began to heave. She groaned inwardly as he spewed a noxious-smelling thick black slime into the pail.

"Did you do this?" Rei asked as she tenderly wiped Ikari's face clean once he was done.

"No," Rakka said grimly. "I think it means he's getting worse."

--------------------

For the next few hours Rei and Rakka watched as Ikari appeared to slowly get sicker. In addition to vomiting, he began to break out in cold sweats and have bouts of teeth-rattling chills.

"We are losing the battle," Rei said with resignation as night fell and Ikari had slipped into something very much like a coma.

"I have to agree with you," Rakka replied heavily.

"Is there anything more we can do?"

"Not that I know of. It's all up to him now… He has to _want_ to live."

"If he truly wanted to live I do not think he would have tried to climb the Wall to begin with."

--------------------

Shinji found himself sitting in a familiar subway car, the light from the brilliant sunset outside filling the compartment with an intense orange-red glow.

'I haven't been here in a while,' he thought to himself morosely.

A younger version of himself appeared in the seat across from him. However, unlike his previous dreams in this place, instead of a four-year-old he was confronted with himself as he appeared when he arrived in Tokyo-3.

"You're nearing the end of the line," the fourteen-year-old said.

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked even as the world outside the windows began to darken.

"You don't have much time left."

--------------------

Rei wrapped her arms around one of Ikari's and sighed.

"Try and get some sleep," Rakka had advised her before she had left for the night a few hours before.

_'How can I sleep when he is like this?'_ Rei again thought to herself even as she yawned.

Soon Ikari began to shiver once again.

_'I must do all I can for him... but I am still afraid to be close to him.'_

She felt a surge of panic when he abruptly stopped shaking.

_'He... He is dying.'_

She jumped out of the bed and stripped off her clothes.

_'So cold,'_ she thought with a gasp as she came in contact with Ikari skin to skin.

_'This is all I can do now,'_ she added as she pulled him to her and draped a leg over him. He began to shiver again and she took this as a positive sign.

_'I should have taken my clothes off to better warm him right from the start... I am such a coward... I hope he can forgive me.'_

"I am here, Shinji. I will always be here for you. Please come back to me."

--------------------

Eventually, weariness again won out and Rei fell asleep and began to dream.

_She found herself in the subway car sitting across from Shinji, who looked up startled to see her now sitting where his younger self had been moments before._

_"Rei?" he asked the longhaired apparition, worried that he again was being confronted by Lilith._

_Rei nodded slightly, thinking herself to be in a simple dream. _

_Ikari noted that it was still getting darker outside. "Why are you here?" he asked._

_The question confused Rei. "Would you rather I were elsewhere?"_

_Shinji felt his chest tighten, a stabbing pain beginning in his heart. "No, there's no one else I'd rather have be here with me at the end than you," he managed._

_"The end?" Rei asked, not wanting to openly acknowledge the truth._

_Ikari clutched at his heart. 'I'm dying, aren't I?"_

_Despondent, Rei looked down in her lap . "Yes."_

_"Then I really am glad you're here with me."_

_"Why do you accept death so easily? You cannot be replaced!"_

_"It's not like I ever did anyone any good."_

_She looked up with tears in her eyes, desperation now stripping away her inhibitions. "How can you say that? You have always been wonderful to me! You were the first one to ever treat me like a person... like someone who mattered to them."_

_Shinji looked away. "I'm sorry, but all I do is hurt you. You're better off without me. Everyone is better off without me."_

_Rei was shocked. 'He feels the same way as I do!'_

_"I am not be better off without you," she admitted. "I love you, Shinji."_

_"You… _love_ me?"_

_"Yes… I have for some time. Even in Tokyo-3."_

_Now fully understanding the nature of her 'dream', Rei stood and extended her hand to Shinji. "I want you to live more than I have ever wanted anything in my life before. Please come with me."_

_Shinji glanced at the near total blackness that was now outside the train car. "I… I don't deserve you," he said softly._

_"Is it not for me to determine who 'deserves' me?"_

_Again clutching his chest, Shinji looked at Rei's proffered hand, but still hesitated._

_"There is no time left, my love. You must decide _ now_."_

_Shinji reached up and took her hand._

--------------------

Ikari opened his eyes to the sight of moonlight streaming in through the guest room window.

'I can see again.'

He felt a warmth along his left side and turned his head to see Rei sleeping next to him. _'This is like that dream I had… but she's _real_.'_

He tentatively put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"Mmmm," Rei purred and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck.

Ikari looked up at the ceiling and was almost overcome by it all. _'I don't feel like I'm drifting away anymore…'_

"I'm back."

A sudden realization then hit him. _'Oh my God! We're naked!'_

--------------------

**Author's Notes:**

Seika is in many ways the opposite of Rei. Although they both had difficult prior lives, Seika's true personality is outgoing and positive, while Rei's is introverted and personally pessimistic. For Seika being in Glie has been a liberating experience from the get go, whereas Rei, because of who she is, is having a much harder time freeing herself from the shackles of her past life.

On the other hand, there's also at times something sort of forced or even manic about Seika's high spirits. Unfortunately I don't think this story will be a place to explore her trials as a Haibane too thoroughly.

Kana isn't worried about her scooter being stolen? Glie isn't very big. Where would a thief go with it?

Fear of intimacy? In my Rei? It's more likely than you think!

Shinji's illness effects his dreaming… or how much was he dreaming at all? Remember where his "true" body actually has been all this time? He's inside Unit-01, of course. So what is really Shinji's reality and what is the dream?

The same can actually be said about Rei's cocoon dream. Remember where she is during Third Impact? She's inside Lilith. And what color was Lilith's body? A uniform white.

Without a Guardian watching over him Lilith is able to invade Shinji's cocoon dream for the first time. We also see she's suddenly changed tactics with him. She really doesn't seem to want Shinji lingering in the dark at the end of his dream. I wonder why.

Why would a medicine have any effect on the Wall Sickness? Surviving the sickness seems to have a lot to do with remaining connected to the other Haibane. The medicine is tangible evidence of this connection, as the other Haibane must collect the ingredients as well as make and administer it. A Haibane who challenged the Wall and who was truly alone would indeed die, probably in much the same way as a sin-bound would. They'd simply disappear.

Hard to believe, but this chapter covers only about one third of what I originally intended it to.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

****

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 13: Hedgehog's Solution / Sentences / Adversaries**

If he had been able, Ikari would have bolted from the bed without any hesitation. However, weakened as he was, the most he could do was move his arms a little or wiggle his toes. Anything else was beyond him, especially given the way Rei was draped across him.

Eventually, he calmed down and looked at the girl peacefully slumbering beside him.

_'She really is beautiful,'_ he thought as he took in her delicate features, pale skin and long blue hair. _'With her wings she looks like some sort of fairy princess.'_

A short while later Rei began to stir.

_'This is… pleasant,'_ she decided, half awake. _'Ikari is warm.'_

_'Warm?'_ she asked herself in surprise.

She opened her eyes to see him gazing down at her.

"You have recovered?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Thanks to you."

Tears once again came to her eyes as she hugged him fiercely. "Do not ever do that again! I was sure you were going to die."

"I think I almost did… I had this strange dream." _'Where you told me you loved me,'_ he added to himself.

Rei raised herself up and looked into Ikari's eyes as she brought a hand to his face. "I am _so_ thankful you are alright."

She noticed Ikari's gaze drop as he blushed furiously. "What is it?" she asked as she glanced down and answered her own question. His eyes were now glued to her exposed breasts.

She pulled a sheet between them as she too blushed. "I… I was trying to… keep you as warm as possible."

"Thank you."

Rei averted her eyes. "I only wish I could have done more."

Ikari smiled. "I'm alive, aren't I? I think you did just fine."

Rei again hugged him tightly and he did his best to reciprocate.

------------------

Rakka left her room, her heart feeling heavier than it had in a long while. She had retreated to her bed the night before as much from being unable to bear the scene before her as from fatigue.

In the end, though, she hadn't slept much. Thoughts of what she might have done to better help Ikari had kept running through her head all night.

_'Once he had stopped responding to us at all there was nothing else we could've done,'_ she again told herself.

It did not make her feel any less guilty, or any less of a failure.

As she came down the stairs, she fully expect to find Rei weeping over their brother Feather's dead body when she got to the guest room.

'I don't want to even think about what all this is going to do to poor Rei… It could push her over the edge as well.'

Arriving on the second floor, she paused and took a deep breath to steel herself before she ventured to enter the guest room as quietly as possible.

Nothing could have prepared her for the shock of the sheer ordinariness of what she found.

She came into the room to find Ikari lying on his side, fast asleep. A quick glance at the color of his once-sallow cheeks told Rakka all she needed to know.

'He's made it!'

She quickly sat down on the bed and gave him a small shake. "Hey there," she said softly when he opened his eyes.

"Rakka… Hi."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I got run over by something."

She nodded. "Should I make you some more of the medicine? It should help you feel stronger."

Ikari grimaced at the mention of the foul concoction. "No thanks."

Rakka chuckled. "Yeah, it is pretty nasty stuff." She then finally realized someone was absent. "Where's Rei?"

"She went to make breakfast for the Little Feathers."

Rakka shook her head. "Gee, what a surprise." _'Of course… Ikari's out of danger so she goes right back to her regular duties. That's just so… her.'_

"Thanks for everything you did," Ikari then said.

"You're very, very welcome. Would you like me to make you something to eat?"

Ikari nodded. "That would be great."

"How about something nice and easy, like rice porridge?"

"That sounds good."

"Okay, then. Let me help you sit up."

As she aided Ikari, Rakka noted his wings had once again blackened.

"Remind me later to put some medicine on your wings," she said. "They look pretty bad."

"But I just put more of that stuff on a week ago."

Rakka shrugged. "Well, you definitely need more." _'Must be because of the Wall.'_

--------------------

A short while later Rakka brought over a bed tray of food for Ikari.

"Can you eat it yourself, or do I need to feed you?" she asked as she set the tray down in front of him.

"I think I can manage," Ikari answered as he picked up the spoon, only to have most of its contents fall back into the bowl when his hand started to shake.

"Maybe I should help you after all," Rakka observed.

"No, that's alright."

"If I don't help, you're going to be wearing more of that porridge than you're going to in your mouth."

Ikari's shoulders slumped a little. "I guess you're right."

"Don't be embarrassed," Rakka told him as she dipped the spoon back into the porridge. "Just let yourself be sick."

"I'm really sorry I caused you all such trouble," Ikari said after his first mouthful.

"Forget about that now," Rakka gently admonished him. "We're just glad you're going to be alright."

She put the spoon down. "I really thought I was going to find you dead when I came in here this morning."

"Rei saved me I think."

"How? Last night you were totally unresponsive to us."

"I… I had this dream where I was about to die. I think that if I'd died in the dream I'd have died for real… But, just at the last minute, Rei appeared and asked me to come with her… At first I didn't want to, but then she told me she loved me and then I took her hand." Ikari smiled. "The next thing I remember after that was waking up with her sleeping next to me and feeling better."

"She really does love you, you know."

Ikari shook his head. "How can she possibly love someone like me?"

"I bet she asks herself the same thing about you."

"What do you mean?"

Rakka held up another spoonful for Ikari to eat. "You love her, don't you?" she asked as he took it.

He looked away with a blush. "I… I guess I do."

"She's just like you. She doesn't think you could love her either."

"But…"

"I know you've heard this before, but you two have _got_ to tell each other how you feel."

Ikari's blush intensified. "I've wanted to… but I'm scared."

Rakka nodded. "I guess it's pretty daunting to lay your emotions bare like that to another person."

--------------------

Rakka was pleased a few hours later when Ikari proved able to eat his lunch by himself. She was cleaning up her own dishes when Seika came skipping into the room.

"Oh, you're better!" she said to Ikari as she bounded onto the bed next to him.

"Yeah, thanks to Rei and Rakka."

"I am _so_ glad! You were really out of it yesterday."

"You seem awfully cheerful," Rakka interjected.

"Yep! I got a job today!"

"That's great! Where?"

"At that pub near Hikari's bakery."

Rakka made a face. "That dump?"

"Aw, come on! The owners are really nice."

"What do you have to do there?" Ikari asked.

"Well, in the morning I have to help clean up from the night before and help get things ready for the lunch crowd. Then I have to wait on tables and stuff, and then help them get ready for serving dinner."

Rakka shook her head as she went back about her business. "A Haibane waitress…"

"Oh, by the way," Seika then said as she produced a sheet of paper. "This was tacked up on the bulletin board by the gate. It's for you, Ikari."

He frowned as Seika handed it to him.

"It's from the Haibane Renmei, isn't it?" Rakka asked as he read it.

"Yeah," Ikari said unhappily. "It says I have to be at the Temple tomorrow morning by 9 o'clock. They also want Rei and you to come too."

Rakka sighed. She knew that whatever the Communicator had in store for Ikari, it would not be pleasant.

--------------------

Later that afternoon, Seika helped Rakka hang Ikari's now-cleaned clothes out to dry.

"We've got to do something about Ikari and Rei," she said.

"I guess we do," the elder Feather replied. "They both seem unable to tell the other about their feelings… I guess they're both too shy or something."

"Or too hurt."

Rakka nodded at Seika's perceptive comment. _'Yes… Rei certainly is emotionally damaged. I suppose Ikari could be too if they were in the same situation together before they got here.'_

"It's called the 'Hedgehog's Dilemma', isn't it?" the New Feather asked.

Rakka snickered. "Yeah, I think I've heard that term before. It certainly applies to them, doesn't it?"

Seika crossed her arms with a huff, and furrowed her brow in concentration. "Got to do something," she muttered.

A few moments later she smiled. "I think I've got an idea."

--------------------

Rakka's happy mood soured considerably when she returned to the guestroom. She scowled when she saw that the medicine she had put on Ikari's wings after lunch seemed to have had no effect.

"Are your wings dry?" she asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"They're still all black."

"What?"

Rakka plucked a black feather from one of Ikari's wings and sighed sadly as she watched it slowly turn grey in her hand.

"This must be because you challenged the Wall," she concluded. "The medicine doesn't seem to work for you anymore."

"So now I have to go around with my wings looking like this?" Ikari asked in alarm.

"It would appear so."

--------------------

"Is there nothing else we can try?" Rei asked after hearing the news about Ikari's wings at dinner that night.

"I don't think so," Rakka replied. "At least there's nothing else that I know of."

"How about bleach?" Kana asked.

"But that would make his wings white," Seika observed.

"That would be strange in and of itself," Hikari pointed out.

"But it would be better than having wings that look like they're rotting away!" Kana persisted.

Her own experience in mind, Rakka decided she had heard enough. "How would you like someone to bleach _your_ wings?" she asked her sisters pointedly.

Kana made a face. "Okay… Guess that wasn't such a hot idea."

Silence settled around the table for the rest of the meal.

--------------------

"Rei, why don't you take Ikari out on the terrace and get him some fresh air," Rakka suggested after dinner.

"Would you like that, Brother?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I think it sounds great!"

Neither of them noticed Rakka wink at Seika as they headed outside, Ikari leaning one hand on Rei's shoulder for support.

"Do you think you will be well enough to go to the Temple tomorrow morning?" Rei asked as they both leaned on the balcony railing.

"I think so. I'm feeling stronger all the time. A good night's sleep should do the trick."

"I am glad to hear you say that." Rei said and then looked up at the moon. "It is quite pleasant out here this evening."

"It won't be too much longer before winter sets in, though, I bet."

"I believe you are probably correct… And then soon after that it will have been a year since I was banished from Glie," Rei said sadly.

"You should ask the Communicator to end that. You've become such a great Haibane that you deserve it."

"It is not a question of punishment, as you well know."

"I know, but it's been this long and nothing has happened. It must be alright for you to come back into town again by now."

Rei nodded. "I would like to think that you are right. I will ask the Communicator about it soon... perhaps even tomorrow."

At that moment Rakka, Kana and Hikari came out into the courtyard and waved. "See you two in a while," Rakka said. "We're going for a little walk."

"Now, Seika!" shouted Kana.

Behind them Rei and Shinji heard the door out to the balcony shut and saw Seika throw the bolt locking it.

Rei turned back around. "Why are you…"

"It was Seika's idea," Rakka shouted as the trio headed for the gate. "She's not going to let you out until you both finally confess!"

Rei and Shinji looked at each other. "Confess?" Rei asked. "Do you have something you wish to confess to me, Brother?"

Shinji blushed and nodded. "Do you have something to confess to me?"

Rei too blushed. "I…"

She looked into the guestroom at Seika, who mouthed the words "Go for it!" at her.

Rei sighed with resignation. _'This is not how I wanted to do this… But then, left to myself I seem incapable of doing it at all.'_

"I do not know what to say, Brother."

"I think I do," Ikari answered.

She looked at him questioningly. "Oh?"

"Rei… I… I think I lo…"

"I love you."

Both of them stared at the other, scarcely believing what they had just heard.

"You l-love m-me?" Ikari finally sputtered.

Rei nodded shyly. "And you… love me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes! You're more important to me than anything."

Rei abruptly turned away from him.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, almost panicking.

Rei turned back to him, tears in her eyes. "No… I… I just did not want you to see me cry."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Rei… I'm sorry if I've…"

"Don't be," she said. "It is just that I have never cried because I am happy before."

"You're happy?"

"Happier than I have ever been," Rei answered as she tentatively put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. _'I have wanted to do this for so long.'_

She sighed contentedly as he gingerly returned her embrace.

_'This feels so very right,'_ Rei concluded as a tear ran down her cheek.

She looked back up at him, his eyes immediately focusing on hers. Ever so slowly he lowered his head until their lips just barely touched.

"Yes!" they heard Seika exclaim with a pump of her fist.

--------------------

Later that night, in her bed in the girls' dorm room, Rei found herself staring at the ceiling.

'I have been lying here for some time. Why can I not sleep?'

The answer was not long in coming to her. _'My mind is racing… One moment I can think of nothing besides how it felt to hear those words from Ikari… He _loves_ me! And the next moment I am filled with dread at the prospect of what may happen to him at the Temple tomorrow.'_

Eventually Rei glanced over at Hana sleeping peacefully and, with a sigh, she got up to look out the window. She gazed into the moonlit courtyard and thought of how it had felt to be in Ikari's arms, and of their brief, tentative kiss.

A small smile graced her face and she turned and headed for the East Tower.

There, in his own bed, Ikari was also finding sleep elusive for much the same reasons as Rei.

He too was looking up at the ceiling when he heard his door opening quietly and saw a small golden glow from the corner of his eye.

He turned his head to see Rei standing before him in her nightshirt.

"Rei?"

"I could not sleep."

"Neither can I."

"I am not surprised," she answered and then slid into the bed next to him.

"Rei?" he again asked, this time with some alarm.

She put an arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I found being with you like this last night very… restful. I was hoping that being next to you now would again help me sleep."

Ikari smiled and hugged her closer to him. "Okay… I'm glad you're here."

He gave the top of her head a small kiss. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you as well."

Soon they were both sleeping soundly.

--------------------

"Are you sure you will be able to make it to the Temple and back?" Rei again asked Ikari the next morning as they stood with the others at the south gate.

"I think I can," he answered. "Just like I thought I would, I feel a lot better than I did even last night."

"Maybe you should take my bike along," Hikari suggested. "If Ikari gets tired he can just hop on with one of you."

"But what will you do?" Rei asked.

"Hikari can ride into town with me," Kana answered as she started her scooter.

"See you all!" Seika called out with a wave as everyone started on their way. "Don't forget to bring something back for dinner!"

Rakka shook her head with a smile. "Suddenly it's all about running the kitchen with her… Guess she wants to get in some practice before she starts work."

"She also said something at breakfast about picking a room of her own today," mentioned Rei.

"Yep. Then she'll be a full-fledged Haibane!"

Rakka and Rei continued their back and forth for a few moments until Rei looked over at Ikari.

"You look so sad, my love," she said to him.

"I'm not looking forward to seeing the Communicator."

Rei nodded. "I am also filled with apprehension." Rei turned to Rakka. "What is the likely outcome of this meeting?"

"I really don't know, but all that happened to Hyouko and Reki was that they had their movements restricted so that they couldn't be together anymore."

"Could that happen to Ikari and I?" Rei asked in obvious alarm.

Rakka shook her head. "I don't think so. You didn't try to get over the Wall with him."

"But I am partially to blame for you trying, am I not?" Rei asked Ikari sadly.

"No! It was all my doing!"

Rei sighed. "We shall see what the Communicator thinks."

--------------------

Rei and Rakka waited impatiently outside the Temple's doors for Ikari to return from his meeting with the Communicator.

They were actually surprised how soon the doors opened and he emerged.

"That was quick," Rakka remarked.

"Are you alright?" Rei asked, noting that her beloved's face seemed unexpectedly serene.

Ikari nodded. "I'm fine. This was a lot less than I expected."

"So what did he have to say?" Rakka asked.

"I have to go to jail."

"What?" both Rakka and Rei exclaimed in shock.

"He said that since I stole the stuff I used to climb the Wall I have to be treated like any other criminal… Then he added that the other part of my punishment would be that I would have to work off the cost of the things I stole."

"How can you do both things at once?" Rakka asked.

"Well, starting today I'm going to live at the town jail. After breakfast there I'm to go to work at the music store as usual. Then, I'm to go back to the jail for lunch and then go to the construction site I took the tools from to work for the afternoon. Then it's back to the jail for dinner and sleep. On Sundays I'm to spend the whole day in my cell."

Rei could not help looking downcast. "And how long is your sentence to be?"

"Until I have worked off the value of what I stole, or three months, whichever is longer."

"Three months?" Rakka asked in alarm.

"I'm allowed one visitor each Sunday, otherwise I'm to have no contact with any Haibane, including letters."

"But I cannot come to Glie to see you," Rei said morosely. She looked up at Ikari with determination. "I will ask the Communicator to allow me back into Glie immediately!"

"Just don't do anything foolish if he says 'no', my love."

Rei pulled him into a hug. "I promise I will not."

Again they kissed briefly as Rakka blushed furiously behind them.

"I'll take Hikari's bike into town and return it to her," Ikari said. "It's almost all downhill so I should have no trouble."

"I will miss you," Rei said, once again fighting back tears.

"And I'll miss you," he answered as he climbed on the bike.

"Before you go," Rakka then interjected. "Did he say anything about your wings?"

"He said that I'm not allowed to cover them except when it gets cold. He told me it's my 'mark' from now on."

"Then when you come back to Old Home we'll have to do everything we can to free you from being sin-bound as soon as possible!"

Ikari smiled sadly. "Yeah, I suppose so." He turned to Rei again. "I guess it's time to say goodbye."

He leaned over and kissed her once more. "See you soon."

"Take care, my love."

Rakka came over and put her arm around Rei's shoulders as Ikari rode away.

--------------------

Reki stood, her head bowed, to hear the judgment against her.

Around her, in a circle, a dozen other Guardians stood, their currently flameless swords drawn at their sides.

If her sentence removed her from their ranks Reki knew that the others would raise and light their swords and then, as one, drive them into her body, freeing her soul for its return to Gehinnom and its punishment.

The senior Guardian stepped through the ring and stood in front of her. "Are you prepared to hear of your fate?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Do you have anything you wish to say to the others?"

"Only that I did what I thought was right in my heart."

"Very well then," the leader said solemnly. "Father has decided that because your motives were completely pure, you are not to be punished any further and are now to be fully restored to your duties."

Reki released the breath she had been holding and struggled to stay standing as her knees threatened to give way.

"B-But I broke the L-Law of the Wall."

"There are higher laws. You chose correctly and selflessly which one to break... It is not often that an act by a single Guardian saves an entire sentient race."

The other Guardians applauded as Reki's wings reappeared.

--------------------

Both Rei and Rakka were surprised when their meeting with the Communicator amounted to nothing more than a series of questions about their treatment of Ikari for Wall sickness.

"Is there anything you wish to ask of me?" the Communicator inquired once he had completed his queries.

"I would like to be freed from my movement restrictions," Rei said, getting right to the point.

The Communicator shook his head. "No. The time is not yet right."

"Why not?" she asked firmly.

The Communicator turned to Rakka. "This is not a conversation for your ears. Leave us."

"Rakka knows the truth about me."

"Oh?" the Communicator asked in surprise. "And why is that?"

"She guessed it herself… and I could not bring myself to lie to her any further when she confronted me."

"I see… And how did you manage to discern Rei's special nature?" he asked Rakka.

"I-I saw her use her abilities when Ikari fell from the Wall," Rakka admitted. "Figuring out the rest of what happened last winter wasn't hard after that."

"You were told not to use your powers," the Communicator said sternly to Rei.

Before Rei could say anything, Rakka asked, "Would you rather it if she'd let Ikari die from the fall?"

"No," the Communicator confessed. "I suppose there was therefore no avoiding what happened."

"So are you going to punish Rei?" Rakka asked, her tone making her view on the matter clear.

Again the Communicator shook his head. "No. That would serve no purpose in this case. But you must promise to not tell anyone else yourself."

"I will not tell anyone else."

"Very well then."

The Communicator turned his attention back to Rei. "I can see that lifting your restrictions would mean a great deal to you, young Feather, but we are still concerned what might happen if you were to venture into Glie once again. It has not even been a year since you were attacked… It might not seem that way to you, but a year is not a very long time."

"But I wish to visit Ikari," Rei said almost pleadingly.

"Not being able to see you is part of his punishment."

"But is that not also punishing me?"

The Communicator sighed. "Yes, unfortunately, it is. But knowing that he is causing you pain is another part of your Brother Feather's punishment."

For Rei the walk back to Old Home seemed interminable.

--------------------

"Are you going to be alright?" Rakka asked her that evening as they left the guestroom after dinner.

"No, but I will manage."

"I feel so sorry for you."

"Why?"

"Well, you and Ikari finally managed to admit your feelings to each other and then he immediately gets snatched away from you completely."

Rei nodded. "Not being able to see him will be very hard."

"We're all here for you, you know."

Rei smiled slightly. "Yes, I do know. That is the only thing that makes it tolerable."

Rakka pulled her friend into an embrace. "I know it's not the same, but while he's gone you can have all the hugs you want from me."

--------------------

Three days later the Communicator learned that Rei was not the only Haibane troubled by his punishment of Ikari.

"How could you do something like that?" Midori railed at him.

"Though I appreciate your concern for a member of your Nest," he answered. "Ikari's actions gave me little choice in the matter."

"I can't believe he tried to climb the Wall," she seethed.

"You should be happy that he survived the ordeal."

"I am," she said, somewhat chastened.

"Were it not for the efforts of Rakka and Rei, he would not have. You owe them your thanks."

Hearing Rei's name set Midori off like a firecracker. "Rei? Thank her? Never! She's a monster! She's to blame for this!"

"No one besides Ikari is to blame for his actions."

"How can you say that?" she asked incredulously. "She's not even a real Haibane! You should banish her beyond the Wall!"

"Rei is just as much a Haibane as you or any other Feather," the Communicator said firmly. "You would be wise to put these black thoughts out of your head."

"But I've seen that she's not a true Haibane! And how else could she have hurt a human like she did?"

"There is no reasoning with you when you are like this," the Communicator said as he turned away. "You are dismissed."

As she left, Midori sighed as the Temple doors closed behind her. Then a look of determination came over her face. "I will find out what you are, you blue-haired bitch," she said under her breath. _'And then I'll make you pay for what you've done to Ikari… The first thing I have to do is find out the truth about what happened last winter.'_

--------------------

One afternoon a month later, Seika was busy returning to the pub kitchen after taking drinks to tables during her second week at her job when she overheard someone sitting at the bar talking about her.

"Since when do you have one of _them_ working here?" a burly young man asked to the owner, a balding man in his fifties.

The owner scowled. "You leave her be. I don't want any trouble from you just because you don't like her kind."

As Seika went by, the man suddenly turned and grabbed her by the arm roughly. "What's your name, little girl?" he asked with a sneer as he squeezed her arm tightly.

Without thinking Seika glared at him and quickly swung the tray she was holding around, smacking her assailant hard upside the head.

"Don't you touch me," she snarled in a low menacing voice.

Then, suddenly realizing what she had done, she blanched. "Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be, Seika," the owner said with a grin, as several of the men sitting at the bar burst out laughing. "Ijime is nothing but trouble."

He turned to the man, who was now rubbing the side of his head. "You pull something like that again and it will be the last time you ever set foot in here!" he said sternly. "You all right?" he asked Seika.

"Yes," she said sheepishly.

"Don't fret about him," one of the old men sitting at the bar said to her. "Ijime is still mad that a Haibane girl smashed his hand up last winter when he tried to bully her."

Seika did her best to hide her shock. "Serves him right!" she said with a huff as she turned on her heels and headed back to the kitchen. _'I wonder who it could've been?'_ she thought as she walked away. _'Who could have done something like that to someone like him?'_

"She's a spirited one, ain't she?" the owner asked as the men at the bar all laughed again.

--------------------

A week later, Seika once again got an unpleasant surprise when she found Ijime sitting at one of her tables.

"Can I get you anything?" she managed to ask evenly, even as she gripped her tray firmly, ready to again swing it at him if necessary.

"I'd like an ale," he said with a phony smile. "And I'd like you to tell me a few things."

"Like what?"

"Like where that blue-haired Haibane has gone to?"

"You mean Rei?"

"Oh, is that her name?"

Seika suddenly got the feeling she had already said far too much. "I-I'll be r-right back with your drink."

"Does she live with you?" he asked when she returned.

"Who?"

"Don't play smart with me. You know who I mean. And just where do you live anyway? Old Home? The Factory?"

"That's none of your business, _human_," she answered sharply. "I suggest you stop with your questions, or do you want me to tell the owner you're bothering me again?"

Ijime chuckled. "Yep, you're a fiery one alright, Seika."

She scoffed. "You have _no_ idea," she said and walked away.

He smiled and took a sip of his ale.

A few minutes later both Seika and he noticed when the pub's door opened and another Haibane walked in.

_'I wonder who she is?'_ Seika asked herself. _'Must be from the Factory.'_

Midori surveyed the room. "I've heard that I can find Ijime here. Are any of you him?"

* * *

Author's Notes:

God, this chapter was like pulling teeth. I don't know why but it was very hard to write. Things went much more smoothly once I took a break to write the first chapter of _Neon Genesis Claymore_ though.

There seems to be a general consensus among fanfic writers that Rei sleeps nude. I would have followed this convention except that, plot-wise, having her wear a nightshirt was easier. Besides, the only Gainax art I know of showing Rei sleeping shows her in a men's dress shirt and panties.

So, Rei's assailant reappears. As for his name, Ijime, it's from the Japanese word for bully, _ijimekko_.

Once again we get a flash of Seika the street urchin. She's not someone to mess with.

I sort of feel guilty for making Midori into something of a baddie in this story. She's only trying to protect someone in her Nest. Oh well. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and all that.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

****

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 14: Homecoming / Rakka Interruptus / Absolution**

Rei sat in the guestroom drinking a cup of tea as she watched the light snow falling outside the window on a blustery Sunday. She still had very mixed feelings about snow. _'It is pretty, but it is unpleasantly cold,'_ she thought as she took another warming sip.

The slamming of the outside door and the stamping of snow-covered boots announced the arrival of one of her housemates downstairs. A minute later Rakka came into the room and draped her soggy coat, wing covers and hat on the radiator to dry.

"You look displeased," Rei said. "I was not expecting you back for another half an hour at the earliest."

"I didn't get to see Ikari," Rakka said sourly. "Midori got there before me, so I just came straight back."

"This is the second time she has done that."

"Yeah, she got to the jail before Hikari two weeks ago too."

"I hope she did not harangue him again."

"Don't take what Seika said about what Ikari told her last week too seriously. You know she likes to over-dramatize things."

"Perhaps, but Midori is quite temperamental, particularly of late it seems," Rei answered, her concern clear in her voice.

"Maybe she's still shook up about Hyouko," Rakka opined. "It's only been three weeks since he left the Nest. I know that suddenly becoming the senior Haibane in Glie would unnerve me."

Rei nodded, but her face still betrayed her anxiety.

"I'm sorry," Rakka felt compelled to say. "I should have gone sooner."

"It is alright. You did what you could. I am sure Kana will get to see him next week."

Rakka nodded and then headed over to the kitchen to get some tea. She looked back over at Rei as she took her first taste. "He'll be back soon," she said encouragingly.

"Yes… The time has passed surprisingly quickly so far. However, I find my anticipation of his return is causing that to be the case less and less each day."

"Yeah, I guess the last few days will seem to really drag by."

"I will have to endeavor to keep myself as busy as possible in the mean time."

--------------------

It turned out that Seika's description had not been far off the mark after all.

"You can't go back to Old Home, Ikari!" Midori said to him pointedly as she sat outside his cell. "I need you at the Factory! With Hyouko gone you're the oldest male Haibane now."

"What do you mean?" he responded, his voice also somewhat raised. "I'm the _youngest_ male Haibane… If it wasn't for Seika, I'd be the youngest senior Haibane period!"

"It's true that you were the last male to be born here, but, just looking at you; it's clear that you're older than the others… You're probably even older than me! That's why I need you back at the Factory. You have to help me with the other boys."

"What about Dai? He's been here longer than anyone at the Factory besides you now."

"But Dai started out as a Little Feather. He can't command the respect that you can."

"But no one is going to respect me when my wings look like this, or after everything that's happened!"

"That's also why you have to come back to the Factory. Staying at Old Home is bad for you!"

"You mean _Rei_ is bad for me, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, I mean that! She's why you're sin-bound! She's a demon!"

"How can you say things like that?"

"I've seen it, Ikari! I've seen her glowing eyes for myself. She's not one of us!"

"You're imagining things!"

"And I've talked to that guy whose hand she broke."

"What?"

"He told me everything… She's a not a Haibane at all! She's a monster! She should be banished beyond the Wall before she brings another disaster like your wings down on us."

"You're talking nonsense."

"You need to stay away from her."

"It's none of your business!"

"I'm the leader of the Factory Haibane. _That_ makes it my business. In fact, I'm going to see the Communicator again and plead with him, _again_, to banish that blue-haired _thing_… And, failing that, I'm going to at least get him to order you to stay away from her."

Ikari sighed. _'This is just like the first time she visited.'_

--------------------

"I have decided to move back to my room in the East Tower," Rei announced that night at dinner.

"About time!" Kana exclaimed.

"I agree," Hikari added. "I hate being the only one living in the Tower."

"You want to be closer to Ikari when he comes back?" asked Seika.

"That is correct," Rei replied.

"I don't see how you can stand living with those brats anyway," Kana remarked jokingly.

"I have enjoyed living with them. I will miss it."

"Don't take Kana seriously, Rei," Rakka advised. "We all know how much those kids mean to you."

"So when will you be moving back?" Hikari asked slightly anxiously.

"I think I will move back the Sunday before Ikari returns."

Hikari frowned. "That's three weeks from now."

--------------------

After dinner Rakka sat back and listened to her sisters discuss and sometimes debate matters of concern for the day-to-day running of Old Home.

She noticed that, as had been happening with increasing frequency in that last few weeks, they were all deferring more and more to Rei's judgment. This was not surprising when the topic was something that had to do with the Little Feathers, such as when Hana should be moved up to join her elders, but it also extended into discussions of things like building repairs, that were previously Kana's domain, and household areas that Hikari's opinions had held sway over.

It seemed that everyone had learned to value Rei's insightful reasoning and levelheadedness.

After the discussion had broken up and everyone else had left, Rakka came over to help Rei clear away the remaining dinner dishes. "I'm really proud of you," she said to her friend. "You've come so very far."

"Do you really think so?" Rei asked as she colored slightly.

"You know you're practically the boss of Old Home now, don't you?"

"I would not say that in the slightest."

"You just don't notice the way everyone listens to you opinions, but you're getting to be a lot like Nemu."

Rei actually looked displeased with Rakka's words. "Please do not judge me against her. In no way do I merit such comparisons."

"Nemu said the same sort of thing about being compared to Reki, who said the same thing about being compared to Kuramori."

"That may be, but I have a very long way to go before I could ever be compared favorably to any of them."

Rakka smiled. "You've changed again."

"How do you mean?"

"Something's happened these last two months. I thought Ikari's being gone would have weighed on you more than it seems to have. You seem to have completely recovered from everything that was bothering you, and then some."

Rei nodded. "The thought that Ikari will be returning to me buoys me. Knowing he loves me gives me strength."

"You've always been strong, you know."

"I have also come to realize something very important."

"Oh? What?"

"My heart is no longer empty. I am no longer empty."

Rakka threw her arms around Rei and gave her a big hug. "It's so wonderful to hear you finally say that!"

"I understand now that I should have realized it much sooner. The Little Feathers, my friends… my love… Between all of you I have as full a life as anyone could ever want."

Happy tears came to Rakka's eyes. "This doesn't mean you're going to leave us, now, does it?" she asked with a smile.

Instead of returning the smile, Rei's expression became serious. "No… I still have not found the true meaning of my name." Her face brightened. "But now, for the first time, I truly feel confident that I will."

--------------------

"Damn, it's freezing!" Kana exclaimed. "Trust Ikari to get released on the coldest day so far this winter."

"You didn't have to come, you know," Hikari replied jokingly.

"Yeah!" Seika chimed in. "You could be sitting snug and warm back at Old Home right now!"

"Geez," Kana groused. "You know that wouldn't have been right. We've all supported him this long. It would look bad if I didn't come down here with you two."

Hikari laughed heartily at her friend. "My, my, how your attitude has changed."

"So, he's getting out at three o'clock, right?" Seika asked as she looked up at the jail's small but imposing façade.

"Yep," Kana replied as she flipped open her prized pocket watch. "That's in five minutes."

The trio chatted happily until another group of Haibane turned the corner next to the jail.

"Oh, shit," Kana grumbled. "Here comes Midori."

"Try to put on a brave face," Hikari advised quietly and then waved to the newcomers with a smile. "Hi! Have you come to see Ikari too?"

"You know exactly why we're here!" Midori declared sharply.

"Midori! Be nice!" Dai implored.

"Ikari's coming back with us!" she continued.

Kana scowled. "And just what makes you think that?" she asked snidely.

"I think I've been pretty persuasive asking him to come back… And if he still has doubts I'm sure seeing these boys here will put them to rest for him."

"You shouldn't make him have to choose between his friends!" Seika said. "It's not fair to him."

"Well, if you bunch don't like it, you can just leave now."

Kana turned her back on the Factory Haibane. "Damn, she's really being a bitch today," she muttered.

"Well, we've got something they'll never have," Hikari whispered.

"Yeah," Seika replied softly. "We've got Rei."

"You're right, though," said Hikari. "Making him choose between the Factory and Old Home like this is wrong. It's not a contest."

"But it is his free choice," Kana reminded her.

Moments later all eyes turned to the jail door, as it swung open with a loud creak.

"H-Hi, everyone," Ikari said shyly as he stepped out into the cold sunshine.

Both groups of Haibane broke into cheers and applause.

"Thanks, everybody, for coming to meet me like this," Ikari said as he walked over to the Old Home Haibane.

"So, you're going to go with them even after everything I said?" Midori asked.

"Come back to the Factory with us! We need you!" implored Dai, causing the other boys to nod their heads in agreement.

Ikari shook his head. "Sorry, guys, but I've got someone waiting for me back at Old Home. I'll come visit you real soon. I promise."

Midori glowered. "Mark my words, Ikari. You'll be sorry you stayed with her." She turned and started walking off. "Come on, guys, let's go home and get warm."

The Old Home Haibane quickly surrounded Ikari and gave him a group hug.

"Let's get you home!" Hikari said happily. "Seika's promised us she'll cook up a big pot of the mulled cider she's learned to make at work to celebrate your homecoming."

--------------------

"You going to be okay, Rei?" Rakka asked as they headed out of Old Home.

"Why would I not be?"

"Oh, I don't know," Rakka answered mischievously. "You look like you might just float away."

Rei smiled. "Do I seem that happy?"

"Yep. Like you're walking on air."

"The feeling I have inside is… It is indescribable."

Rakka skipped merrily around her friend. "Today's the big day!"

"You seem almost as happy as I am."

"We're all pretty happy. We've all missed him."

"I am so glad that everyone at Old Home has become his friend… It means a great deal to me."

"And we're all happy for you, too. We know how hard his being gone has been for you."

Rei's eyes began to tear up.

"No! No! None of that now!" Rakka teased. "You've got to be all smiles for your boyfriend!"

--------------------

"So, how's living in your old room again?" Rakka asked as they came to the bridge over the stream.

"It is almost too quiet," Rei answered. "I can see why living with the entire Tower to herself has bothered Hikari." Her expression became thoughtful. "It has been over a year now, since I last crossed this bridge."

"Hopefully you'll be allowed back in Glie soon."

Rei nodded. "I would very much like to visit this 'pub' you have all come to like so much."

"Yeah, I always thought it was a dump from how it looked from the outside; but Seika was right, the people there are nice and the food is good and cheap."

"Seika was so pleased when they hung the Haibane sign by the door during the New Year's festival."

Rakka chuckled. "Of course she was pleased. The Communicator was against allowing Haibane to visit there because they serve alcohol, which we're not allowed to have. I'm still surprised he let her work there in the first place. But she begged and pleaded for him to let them put up a sign… In the end I think he gave in just to get rid of her."

Rei smiled. "He probably thought the job was a good fit for her personality."

Rakka laughed. "I think you hit the nail right on the head, there."

"What time is it?" Rei then asked nervously.

Rakka looked at her watch. "About twenty past. They should be here soon… So do you have any special plans for this reunion?"

"No, not really. All I have thought about is seeing him again." _'Except, perhaps, for tonight.'_

A few minutes later they saw a group of Haibane come over the top of the hill that led down to Glie.

"There they are!" Rakka exclaimed.

Rei stood rooted to her spot at the foot of the bridge as they approached. After what seemed like an eternity to her, Ikari came to the opposite side, where he stopped and put down the duffle he was carrying.

"R-Rei."

"Beloved."

They stood and gazed at each other for a moment, until Kana smacked Ikari on the back. "She's not allowed to cross the bridge to you, you know! If you just keep standing there she'll think you don't want her!"

Everyone clapped and cheered when Ikari dashed across and swept Rei up in his arms.

"A kiss! A kiss! A kiss!" Seika, Hikari and Kana chanted.

More cheers erupted when the blushing couple obliged.

--------------------

"Your hands feel different," Rei commented that night, as Ikari and she came up the East Tower stairs hand-in-hand after walking through the underground passages from the West Wing.

"Oh?"

"They are rougher now."

"I guess that's from all the construction work… It was pretty hard."

"Did they treat you well?"

"They teased me a bit at first because I wasn't really strong enough to do some of the things they assigned me to do, but, yeah, they were good to me right from the start."

"I am glad," Rei said as they came to the ground floor and stopped.

Ikari traced a finger down Rei's cheek. "They aren't too rough now, are they?"

"No… And your touch is just as gentle and caring as always."

He put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. "I think I'm a bit stronger now, too."

Rei smiled. "I have always felt secure in your arms, beloved." _'Even before we came to Glie.'_

Arm in arm, they walked over to the door to Ikari's room.

"I would like you to spend tonight with me in my room," Rei requested. "My bed is a little bigger than yours and should therefore be more comfortable for us to sleep in together."

"Okay. I'll change and then come over," Ikari responded before giving Rei a light kiss. "See you in a minute."

Rei sighed as she walked back to her room, and a shiver ran through her. _'Courage… I must overcome my doubts.'_

Once inside she quickly stripped and then slipped on her nightshirt. A short while later a soft knock announced Ikari's arrival.

"Come in, my love."

"Hey," he said shyly as he closed the door behind him.

Rei turned away from him as a blush spread across her cheeks.

_'I can do this,'_ she said to herself. _'I must keep pushing beyond my fears and limitations, and embrace my feelings wholeheartedly… I have desired this for _so_ long."_

With a slight nod of her head Rei reaffirmed her commitment to act.

"Is everything alright, Rei?" Ikari asked and started towards her. Moments later he gasped when Rei turned back to him and he saw that she had unbuttoned her nightshirt. "R-Rei?"

She walked up to him, her eyes never leaving his, and, with a flick of her wings, she sent her shirt sliding off her shoulders and onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him wantonly.

"Welcome home, my love."

--------------------

After breakfast the next morning Rakka headed over to the East Tower. _'It's not like Rei or Ikari to miss a meal. I hope they haven't overslept. They've got to get to work.'_

She lightly knocked on Ikari's door and then cracked it open when she got no answer. _'Hmmm… He's not here. I wonder if they went for a walk together or something.'_

She proceeded down the hall to Rei's room and knocked. Again she stuck her head in the door when there was no answer. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was asleep next to Rei.

"Do not say anything," Rei whispered. "I do not want to wake him."

Rakka turned deep red as Rei carefully slipped out of bed, revealing that she was completely nude. Rei then grabbed a towel and her wing covers, and headed out into the hallway towards the bathroom for her usual morning shower.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Rakka said shyly as she followed after her friend.

Rei nodded. "It is alright. After all, we overslept… I suppose that is not surprising. We were up quite late last night."

"Oh?" Rakka asked and then blanched. "Rei! There's blood on your thigh!"

Rei stopped and looked down. "Yes, I see. It could not be helped."

"What do you mean?"

"Unlike Seika, I had an intact hymen."

Rakka could feel her cheeks burning as her eyes went wide. "You mean?"

"Ikari and I became one last night."

"H-How was i-it?" Rakka asked, her curiosity momentarily overcoming her embarrassment.

"There was a bit of pain at the beginning, and I did not achieve release the first time, but I did the subsequent two."

"You did it _three_ times?"

"Yes. It was extremely pleasant, and, even though I am sore, I find that I am looking forward to doing it again very much… In fact, I had been contemplating uniting with Ikari when we awoke, but then you arrived."

Rakka felt as if she might faint. "Y-You should keep this to yourselves," she managed to advise. "And whatever you do, don't let Seika find out! She's become quite the little gossip at that pub of hers. If you tell her then all of Glie will know about it within a week."

Rei smiled. "I had no intention of telling anyone, except perhaps you, my dearest friend."

Rakka returned the smile. "I'm really happy for you two."

"So am I," Rei said and then disappeared into the bathroom.

--------------------

"Do you think it was wise to let this development occur?" Reki's superior asked her.

"I think so, ma'am," she answered deferentially. "As there is no rule against such relationships between Haibane, I could see no basis for interfering. Their feelings appear quite genuine and their connection to each other is obviously strong. And, at least in Feather Rei's case, those feelings appear to pre-date their being sent to Gehinnom."

The Supervisor nodded. "I suppose you are right, but what about their being related?"

"Rei is not Feather Ikari's sister, nor was she raised that way. Beyond that, in Glie they are both sterile, so their genes from Earth can play no part in their lives now… They also do not remember how they are linked through his mother. They are innocent."

"I would hardly call them innocent any longer," the Supervisor quipped, causing Reki to smile.

"Point taken."

As her superior turned to leave Reki added, "I also have to think that having Rei's love will aid Ikari in dealing with his plight."

"I hope for humanity's sake you are once again correct in your judgment."

"Love can only help."

--------------------

Ikari stirred when he felt a weight on the bed. Opening his eyes, he saw Rei drying her hair and looking down at him.

The sight of her bare breasts once again caused him to color.

"Good morning, beloved," she said with a small smile.

"Morning," he answered.

"Is something the matter?"

"Rei… About last night…"

"Did you not enjoy it?" she asked worriedly.

Memories of their passion flashed through his mind. "Rei… I'd never even imagined it was possible to feel the way you made me feel."

Rei smiled anew and then leaned over and kissed him. "Last night was the most wonderful night of my life. It was a long held dream come true."

"Really?"

"Yes, really… And I hope we have many more nights like it together."

Ikari finally smiled back at her. "Then so do I. All I want is for you to be happy."

Rei kissed him once more. "Then make love to me again now."

"B-But we're already really late for work."

"I waited three months for your return. They can wait a little longer."

--------------------

Several weeks passed and Ikari's life fell into a new pattern. He still spent most of his time at Old Home, but, as he had promised, he made sure to spend time at the Factory as well. In the end he settled on spending Wednesday nights and all of Sunday there. It was the day after one of these Sunday visits that he made a proposal to Rei.

"I'd like you to come to the Factory with me Wednesday night."

"Why?"

"I want the Haibane there to get to know you better, especially Midori."

Rei made a bit of a face. "I think she has already made her mind up about me."

"Then just forget about her. I still want the others to see how special you are."

Rei smiled at the complement but was still hesitant. "You know that regardless of what the others may think, Midori will not tolerate my presence."

Ikari smiled. "I knew you'd say that. But she's already agreed to have you visit!"

"She has?"

"Yeah, I asked everyone at dinner last night and they all agreed, including her."

"I am still skeptical."

Ikari came over and put his arms around her. "It'll be fine. I know some of them really do want to meet you."

"And you are sure about Midori?"

"Yes! She agreed!"

"My going there is important to you?"

Ikari nodded. "Very."

"Then I will."

--------------------

"So she's agreed to come to the factory?" Ijime asked.

"Yes," Midori answered.

"When should I come?"

"Wednesday. Six o'clock. I'll meet you outside the door."

"I'll be there."

"Good. Hopefully your being there to tell everyone about what happened to you will open their eyes about Rei."

Ijime chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be an eye opener alright."

--------------------

Wednesday evening as the sun set, Rei walked down to the bridge to meet Ikari as he returned from working at the music shop. Together they then made their way through snow-covered fields towards the Factory.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"I would say I am more uneasy than nervous. I am sorry, but I do not trust Midori."

"Everything will be fine."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little, but I'm really excited that you're finally going to meet some of my other friends."

Rei smiled. "Yes, that will be good."

A short while later they approached the Factory.

"It is larger and older looking than I had imagined," Rei commented.

Ikari chuckled. "Yeah, I'd forgotten you'd never actually seen it before. It's a lot like Old Home in a way. Most of it is really run down and empty."

"There appear to be people waiting outside for us."

Ikari squinted in the twilight. "Yeah, I think that's Midori, but I have no idea who the guy with her is. He's not a Haibane."

Rei tensed as they approached the waiting pair. Something about the man made her particularly anxious.

"Hello, Ikari," Midori said slyly.

"H-Hi. Who's this with you?"

"Oh, don't you remember him? How about you, Rei?"

"I cannot say that I do," she answered.

"Well, I remember both of _you_," Ijime said, pulling a metal rod from under his coat. "And now it's payback time!"

"Wait!" Midori cried out. "What are you do…"

A hard punch to the solar plexus knocked her to the ground, where she curled, gasping, into a tight ball.

"You are the one whose hand I broke," Rei said darkly.

"That's right little girl," Ijime snarled.

Ikari stepped in front of Rei to defend her.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "You know he cannot hurt me… Get behind me so I can protect you!"

"But you're not supposed to use your powers," he reminded her evenly.

"No!" Rei screamed as Ijime swung the rod at Ikari's head.

Ikari raised his left arm to shield himself, and the rod came down on it with a sickening wet cracking sound as the ulna bone in his forearm gave way.

Rei's eyes immediately flared and she sent Ijime flying through the air with a simple pushing motion.

She looked at Midori and Ikari, who were both now on their knees. "Get him to a doctor," she ordered the elder Haibane. "And send someone to fetch a constable."

"What about him?" Midori asked as she watched Ijime get back to his feet.

"I will see to him," Rei growled as she knocked him on his back again.

As Midori hurried inside to get help, Rei walked over to Ijime and stood next to his head. "It was very unwise for you to try to challenge me again," she said.

Ijime tightened his grip on the rod. "I _will _kill you," he snarled.

"I think not."

Ijime felt as if an invisible net were suddenly pinning him to the ground.

_"That's it, my daughter,"_ came a voice in Rei's head. _"Now show the power of your true nature and finish him. Remember... he tried to kill Ikari."_

Rei smiled malevolently as her eyes again flared. "The other Haibane are just beginning their journeys towards becoming Angels," she said. "Unfortunately for you, however, I am already halfway there."

Ijime's eyes went wide with horror as he felt something begin to constrict around his throat.

"Pray I make your death a swift one," Rei told him with horrifying evenness.

"Rei! Stop!" Ikari shouted from behind her. "Just hold him down until the constables get here!"

Rei turned her head around as if she had been startled. "Yes… Of course, my love."

She looked back down at Ijime. "You are fortunate he was here to remind me of my human half."

Unseen above them on the roof of the Factory, Reki breathed a sigh of relief. _'Now I will not have to intervene… If only Lilith had extended Rei the same courtesy.'_

--------------------

"I've never seen anything like this before," Hikari said four days later. "Have you?"

"No way!" Kana answered. "I don't think there's a Haibane in Glie who's seen a Banishment."

Seika glanced across the Great Gate Square to where the Haibane from the Factory were standing. "It looks like all of us are here."

"Orders from the Communicator," Rakka reminded them. "After all, this guy's getting banished for trying to kill our kind. We all have to witness it."

Seika looked away as Ijime was led into the square. "I can't believe he'd do something like that," she said. "I knew he was no good, but still."

Silence fell as the Chief Constable strode to the center of the square and read a proclamation. "For attempting to kill two Haibane and injuring a third, the punishment is banishment," he finished.

As he stepped away the only sound was the creaking of the Great Gate as it swung open.

--------------------

At that same moment three Haibane were meeting with the Communicator.

"Was banishment necessary?" Rei asked him.

"That is the law of the town of Glie," he told her. "That is the human's domain. It is not our place to interfere with its functioning."

"I'm glad he's gone," Ikari said, his arm in a cast and a sling.

"As am I," the Communicator admitted. "As long as he remained here he would have been a threat to the safety of all Haibane." He then turned his attention to the third Haibane. "Your punishment, on the other hand, is in the Renmei's domain."

"I am ready to receive your judgment," Midori said quietly. "I see now that I was wrong and that I selfishly jeopardized my brothers and sisters."

"Sadly, insight has come too late for you in this instance. Now you are to…"

"Please don't punish her," Ikari interrupted.

"Ikari?" Midori asked.

The Communicator nodded. "Is this your true heartfelt wish? You have every right to be angry with her."

Ikari shook his head. "I've had my fill of anger and hatred. I learned the hard way what they can do to you when I tried to climb the Wall… As long as I've known her, Midori has acted with one thing in mind – what is best for the Factory Haibane. She always tries to protect us… It's not her fault that a dishonest thug duped her this time. We all make mistakes."

"And do you agree with him, Rei?"

"I believe she has learned her lesson. Therefore, as far as I can see, punishing her serves no useful purpose."

"Very well then, she shall not be punished."

--------------------

"Thank you," Midori said deferentially as they walked through the Temple doorway. "I don't deserve your kindness."

"You were only doing what you thought was best," Ikari said.

"I am so very sorry."

"And we forgive you," Rei said. "We only want to be your friends."

Midori smiled sadly. "I think I can finally see what Ikari sees in you… I'd like us to be friends now too."

"What I am no longer troubles you?"

"The Communicator says it is something from your past life. Who am I to question whether you are now just a Haibane that's been sent to Glie like the rest of us? You are my sister."

Ikari and Rei both smiled.

--------------------

"Easy now, beloved," Rei said as she unbuttoned Ikari's coat for him back at Old Home. "Your bone has not knitted back together yet. Sudden movements might bring you pain."

"I feel so helpless."

"It is only for a few weeks. I will assist you until then."

"Thank you, love."

Rei blushed. "Turn around so I can take your wing covers off."

"Okay."

A moment later Rei gasped.

"What is it?" Ikari asked worriedly.

"Your wings! They are grey again!"

"What?"

"You are no longer sin-bound!"

* * *

Author's notes:

Over a year later the end of the tale finally approaches.

I'd been looking forward to writing the post-coital Rei/Rakka scene for ages. It's been in my head for at least six months.

So what frees Shinji in the end? Nothing dramatic. He just has to put his hatred (ikari) aside finally.

Sorry this chapter took so long, but a lot of stuff came up in the real world. Hopefully the last chapter won't take too long to write. I've got most of it floating around in my head already.

That's right. The next chapter is the last one.

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter Version 1.0

Do not post this to the Internet without my written permission.

Please give me feedback!

* * *

**Rei-Bane: Chapter 15: Fourth Summer / Lilith's Return / The Light**

Over a year and a half passed, and, for the Haibane of Glie, everything, and nothing, changed.

--------------------

Rei reached over and turned off her alarm clock with a sigh. She sat up and looked out the window. The brilliant summer sunshine in the courtyard did nothing to improve her mood.

'_I do not like waking up alone anymore,'_ she thought as she stood and gathered her things for her morning routine. '_But Ikari is needed at the Factory.'_

It was a Thursday morning and, as such, Ikari had spent the previous night at the Factory, just as he always had since soon after being released from the Glie jail. Occasionally Rei would join him there, but this morning she had had to rise early to cook breakfast for the Little Feathers, so she had stayed at Old Home for the night.

Her expression brightened as she stepped under the warm water of the shower and thought about her day, and when she would see her beloved again.

Soon thereafter, cleaned and dressed, she hurried over to the South Wing and her cherished young charges.

--------------------

Late that morning Rei headed out of Old Home to run some errands. She did not like leaving the Little Feathers, but the Housemother was getting too old and infirm to go in her stead.

'_She told me she wants to retire soon,'_ Rei recalled. '_The children will not like that, but I suppose it cannot be helped… I hope we can find a new Housemother of her caliber.'_

Rei sighed again. '_So much has changed.'_

The changes had started the previous year with Midori and Dai both 'Leaving the Nest' within two months of each other in the spring. The effect on the Factory Haibane had been striking, with most of them immediately turning to the seemingly older Ikari for guidance. The tribulations that he had once felt worked against anyone seeking out his help had instead drawn the others to him, just as Midori had foreseen. They seemed to feel that if he had been able to surmount those terrible difficulties then helping them with even their deepest worries would be a simple matter for him.

Rei smiled as she thought of this. '_It is true, though,'_ she concluded with some pride. '_He has grown in wisdom these three years... Rakka even once compared his position at the Factory with Blessed Feather Reki's at Old Home.'_

Rei knew that it would be virtually impossible to earn higher praise from her friend than that.

--------------------

As she passed the wind turbines, the chiming of the bells from the clock in the East Tower of Old Home reminded Rei that some of the other changes had not been as welcome as those in her lover.

'_Hearing them always makes me think of Kana,'_ she thought with some sadness.

It had been almost a year now since the Sunday afternoon when Kana had come running into the courtyard shouting, "I've done it! I've finally done it!"

"Done what?" she had been asked.

"The clock works! Now every day it will ring at noon too!"

Two weeks later, apparently satisfied with her efforts, she was gone.

'_She stayed just long enough to reach her goal.'_

What had happened next had not surprised anyone. One month to the day later, Hikari had followed her friend.

"Just like Nemu," Rakka had observed. "Hikari stayed to support Kana like Nemu stayed to support Reki."

--------------------

Rei stopped as she came to the bridge over the stream.

'_The boundary of my world,'_ she thought as she looked at it. '_Not anymore,'_ she then added with a small smile and headed across.

The ban on her traveling to Glie finally had been lifted soon after Midori had left.

"The last time I spoke with her she asked me to allow you back into the town," the Communicator had told Rei after summoning her to the Temple to tell her of her renewed freedom. "In this case I find it difficult to deny the parting request of a Blessed Feather."

'_In the end Midori was a good friend to us both.'_

--------------------

As she had some children's books to return, Rei's first destination in Glie was the Library.

"Well, look who's here!" Sumika exclaimed as Rei came through the door. "It's good to see you!"

"It is good to see you again, as well."

Sumika waddled out from behind the front desk, the advanced state of her pregnancy obvious, to give Rei a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Rei asked as she returned it.

"I'm getting to the point where I just want it to be over already. My friends tell me that means the baby will come soon."

"Do you have everything ready at home?"

"Well, we had most of the stuff left over from when I had my first, so this time's been a lot easier."

"The Library will not be the same while you are on leave."

"Eh, they survived the first time. They'll make do again."

Rei smiled. "I am glad to see you in such good spirits."

"And I'm just glad to see you!" Sumika responded as she took the books Rei handed to her. "You didn't come all the way into town just to return these, did you?"

Rei shook her head. "No, I have other errands to run, and then I am…"

"Meeting up with your hubby?" Sumika interrupted with a sly grin.

Rei blushed, just as she did every time Sumika referred to Ikari this way.

"It really is too bad they won't let Haibane marry," Sumika said as she put the books down on the front desk. "You two are such a cute couple."

"Ikari has never expressed any desire to wed to me."

"Do you doubt he would if he could?"

Rei again smiled. "No. And if he asked me, I would say 'yes' in an instant."

"I guess you'll just have to make do with knowing that's how you both feel."

"Yes, it would appear so."

"I forget, just how did you find out that Haibane can't get married?"

"The Communicator summoned us to the Temple when he learned of our relationship to tell us that, among other things."

"Oh, that's right. I remember you telling me now… I wonder how he found out about the two of you. Do you think Rakka might've told him?"

"That I do not know, but the Renmei clearly have their ways of learning what they want to know… Sometimes I feel as if I am being watched."

"Does that bother you?"

Rei shook her head. "No. They are there to protect and guide us. I have learned to have great respect for them, especially the Communicator. He is caring and wise."

As they talked Sumika had noticed how often Rei's gaze was falling on her swelling belly. "Do you wish you could have children?" she then asked.

Rei nodded shyly, as if it was a great confession. "N-Nothing would make me happier than to give Ikari a child of our own."

"Maybe you'll be able to do that in the next place the two of you go."

"That would be… wonderful."

--------------------

After further chatting with Sumika, Rei left the Library and, heeding her rumbling stomach, headed over to Seika's pub.

"Hello, Rei!" the proprietor called out to her with a wide grin as she came through the door. Several of the elderly 'regulars' sitting at the bar also waved to her.

Rei shyly gave them a small wave in return as she sat down at a table. The pub, of all places, had become a gathering place for the Haibane from both Old Home and the Abandoned Factory. This was particularly true during the long winters, when its cozy warmth and rich foods became added attractions. As a social center, the pub had served to connect the two Haibane communities and the townspeople more closely than before.

'_I wonder if that is what the Communicator hoped would happen,'_ Rei speculated as she fondly recalled some of the gatherings.

Her musings were interrupted as Seika came out of the kitchen. "Hey!" the younger Haibane said as she came over to Rei's table. "You look a little sad," she added as she sat down. "What's on your mind?"

"I am not unhappy, just thoughtful," Rei replied. "For some reason I am reminiscing a great deal today."

"Dwelling on the past does no one any good!" Seika declared as she stood back up. "So, what can I get for you today, dear customer?"

"I will have my usual."

"Oh, that's _so_ boring! Do you really just want a salad and a glass of water?"

"What would you suggest instead?"

"Well, if you want something that brings back memories, how about some Haibane Stew?"

Rei smiled. Hikari's vegetable stew recipe had proved to be very popular since she had given it to the pub.

"No, I think it is a bit warm for that today."

In the end Rei had settled on the salad and a fresh-pressed glass of cider. As she ate she watched Sumika go about her duties and thought about how the younger Haibane had changed. Though she was still slender, she was no longer skinny, and had grown almost as tall as Rei, with her wavy hair cascading down her back.

_'She has also matured a great deal... though I sometimes worry that she still flirts too much with the young men in town.'_

Rei chuckled to herself. _'It probably helps bring in business for the pub.'_

--------------------

Her lunch finished, Rei handed a page from her notebook to the pub's owner and bid everyone a good day before setting out on her next errand.

Just a short walk away, she went to the bakery where Hikari had worked and purchased some treats for the Little Feathers' afternoon snack. The bakers could always be counted on to give Haibanes a discount, and Rei was very careful with her spending, such as it was.

Seika often joked that the Renmei made a tidy profit on Rei's frugality.

From the bakery Rei headed to the Main Square, where looking up at the clock tower once again made her think of Kana.

Across from the tower she went to the flower shop where Hana had been working since joining the senior Haibane of Old Home at the start of the previous summer.

_'The job she always wanted,'_ Rei remembered with amusement.

"Hi, Rei!" Hana said as her sister came through the door. "I've got the flowers you wanted for the South Wing all ready."

--------------------

"Welcome!" Ikari called out as the door to the music shop opened. "Oh, Rei! You're here earlier than I expected."

"I got done with my tasks more quickly than anticipated," the blue-haired young woman answered.

"But I won't be able to leave with you this early."

"I'm sure if you ask, they will let you go."

"I really shouldn't. It's been busy today."

Her expression changed to something of a pout. "Please? For me?"

"Rei…"

"I promise I'll make it worth your while," she said with a small smile.

"Okay… Give me a minute," Ikari answered and went into the shop's back room.

He emerged shortly thereafter with a grin on his face. "You were right! They said it's okay for me to quit early today."

"That's wonderful!"

Together they headed out of the shop and towards Old Home.

--------------------

A short while later, Rei came into the music shop carrying a large bundle of flowers.

"Rei?" asked the woman behind the counter. "Where's Ikari?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she answered, obviously puzzled.

"But he left here with you."

"But I have only just arrived."

"That's odd… You don't have a twin sister, do you?"

--------------------

"This is extremely serious," Reki's superior told her. "Somehow this 'Lilith' has managed to breech the barriers protecting Gehinnom itself."

"And here I thought we were rid of her. She had seemed inactive for so long."

"I guess now we know what she's been up to."

"Indeed," Reki answered and then vanished, only to once again appear in the sky high above the ruins of Tokyo-3. Summoning her sword she immediately headed straight for the gigantic form of Lilith towering over her.

'_Rei once told me that a strike to an organ near her heart would kill her… I can see no other way of stopping her… so that is what I must do.'_

Moments later, however, she smashed into Lilith's AT-field with a force that would have pulverized a mortal with a corporeal body.

'_It seems she anticipated my arrival this time.'_

Reki again phased out of existence and tried to rematerialize within the invisible barrier, only to find it still blocked her.

'_I should have guessed,'_ she concluded as she reappeared at Lilith's eye level. Looking around her, she saw that she had attracted the attention of the mass production series Evangelions, one of which was now flying towards her, its massive hand reaching out to seize her.

'_Not so fast,'_ she thought as she dodged it and swung her sword at her enemy's wrist to no avail.

'_Damn… They have these shields too!'_

Seeing her attack had been thwarted, Reki vanished.

--------------------

"Rei? Are you alright?" Ikari asked upon seeing his companion come to a stop with her eyes closed as they neared the top of the hill leading out of town.

Seconds later Lilith opened her eyes. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment." She smiled. '_That should be the last I see of that pesky Guardian. She couldn't do anything against the AT-fields, and she knows she can't do anything against me here either.'_

She then linked her arm with one of Ikari's. "I have an idea. Let's go sit under one of the wind turbines for a while in the sunshine."

"I thought you wanted to go straight back to Old Home."

"A girl can change her mind, can't she?"

Bemused, Ikari shook his head. "I don't know what's gotten into you today, but okay."

--------------------

"I have failed," Reki told her supervisor upon her return. "Lilith and her protectors now seem to have the same sort of impenetrable barrier protecting themselves as Rei has."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"Given that a mere Guardian like me can do nothing against Lilith and her host, we should petition a Malach to intercede."

The supervisor chuckled. "I do not think the situation is that desperate yet. As usual, you need to consider whether your more subtle powers can be of use."

"I could appear before Ikari and Lilith to warn her off, and then block his memory of the event."

"Appearing in Glie would be almost as drastic as summoning a Malach. You might be seen by others, for example."

Reki nodded. "Very well, then. I know what to do."

--------------------

Confused, Rei stepped out of the music shop and back into the street.

'_The shop owner must be mistaken… There is no one else in Glie who looks anything even remotely like I do… But she has seen me many times now over the years… How, then, could she be so wrong?'_

At that moment, several disjointed fragments of old memories suddenly coalesced into clarity in her mind.

Rei's eyes went wide. "Lilith…"

She immediately dropped everything she had been carrying and ran towards Old Home.

--------------------

"Altering her memory was risky."

"All I did was fill in a few small blanks for her," said Reki. "Most of the pertinent memories were already freed by her using her 'angelic' powers. I have just allowed her to make some sense of them."

"What do you think she will do?"

"She will find them… If necessary, I will guide her."

"And then?"

--------------------

"Isn't this nice?" Lilith asked as she lay back on the grass.

"You know I like coming out here with you," Ikari answered and stretched out next to her.

She looked over at him with a faux twinkle in her eye. "Let's make this time special."

"Special? How?"

"Make love to me."

"What? Here?" Ikari asked in surprise as he sat back up.

"Yes, here."

"But people could see us!"

"We would not have to get undressed."

"I don't know, Rei… It would be feel too strange. Why don't we just go home to our bed instead?"

Lilith sighed. "I just wanted to try something new. I thought it would be fun."

Ikari chuckled and again shook his head. "What is up with you today? You're acting almost like a different person."

Lilith smiled. "I just feel happy. I've waited a long time to be here like this with you."

"What do you mean? We come up here all the time."

"I just meant I have wanted to make love here for a while."

Ikari was crestfallen. "Sorry, I didn't know it meant so much to you."

Lilith quickly stood. "I know! If you're worried about being out in the open, we can go into the Woods and do it there!"

"The Woods?" Ikari asked in worried surprise.

"Yes! That way we can still make love outdoors and have some privacy at the same time."

"I still don't know," Ikari answered as he stood.

"Don't be shy," Lilith said as she took him by the hand. "No one will be able to see us."

Ikari smiled. "Okay. Just as long as we don't' go too far into the Woods."

--------------------

Rei stopped as she reached the top of the hill on the road out of Glie and searched into the distance. '_I do not see them. Where could they be? Have they already reached Old Home?'_

Something in her mind told her that, in the end, they had not gone there. '_Where then?'_

She gasped. "The Woods?" she asked herself fearfully and then once again took off as fast as her legs would carry her.

'_I wonder why I am not feeling any fatigue… I am not used to running distances such as this.'_

If she had been able to see her own glowing eyes she would have known the answer.

--------------------

"Mmmm," Lilith purred as she pulled Ikari into an embrace and then kissed him with seeming hunger. "Do you like this?"

"You know I do."

"Yes, I can tell," she responded as she pressed herself against him.

"Is this really something you've wanted to do?"

"Well, to tell the truth, now that we are here in the Woods, instead of up on the hill, there is somewhere in particular I would like to go to make love."

"Where's that?"

Lilith took Ikari's hand and started to pull him deeper into the forest. "The Temple. On the plinth."

Shocked, he gently pulled his hand away. "Rei, I don' think that's a good idea. That's _way_ too far into the Woods for us to go!"

"Have you ever felt any ill effects from going to the Temple?"

"No, but I still don't think we should go there. What if we get lost?"

"The forest is not so big that we could get lost for long." She took his hand again. "Come, my love."

"Rei…"

At that moment they heard a voice in the distance.

"What was that?" Ikari asked.

"Just ignore it!" Lilith said pointedly. "It has nothing to do with us."

"But it sounded like someone calling my name!" he said as he once more pulled his hand free.

"That's just your imagination, love. Who would be out here looking for us?"

Again they heard the voice.

"I'm going to see who that is," Ikari said.

"Don't!" Lilith said sharply, causing Ikari to turn around in alarm.

'_There's something not right about this,'_ he concluded. '_Rei is acting really weird.'_

He immediately sprinted the short distance to the edge of the trees, only to be stunned by who he saw a few yards away.

"Rei? But how?"

"Ikari!" she cried and started towards him.

"Stay back!" Lilith said sharply as she suddenly appeared and stepped in front of Ikari. "He's mine now!"

"Rei?" Ikari asked, as he looked first to Lilith and then to Rei. "H-How?"

"She is an imposter," Lilith said. "She's probably been sent here to Glie to test us in some way."

"Don't listen to her, my love!" Rei implored. "She is an Angel! She is your enemy!"

"Enemy?" Ikari asked, becoming ever more confused.

"We need to get away from her," Lilith said as she linked one of her arms to Ikari's. "Come with me," she added and tried to pull him back into the trees.

"Would the real me try to pull you into the Woods?" Rei asked.

Ikari gasped and pulled away from Lilith's clutches. "No… Rei never goes near the Woods unless someone's Day of Flight has come. Because of Rakka's warnings, she's afraid of them."

"Come to me, love," Rei urged.

Slowly Ikari inched away from Lilith and towards Rei.

"No!" Lilith shouted and suddenly appeared between Ikari and Rei. "I will not let her have you."

"H-How did you do that?" Ikari asked.

"It is as I said," Rei answered him. "She is an Angel. Her powers are vast."

Lilith turned to Rei with a snarl. "I've had enough of you!" she shouted as she flung a hand out towards Rei.

Rei's arms came up to shield her head as an invisible beam struck her AT-field, sending sparks everywhere. As the beam subsided Rei staggered and fell to her knees.

"So, you were able to block that one?" Lilith asked snidely. "You're stronger than I thought, but you're no match for me, dear daughter."

Leaving Ikari for a moment she walked over to Rei. "And this is how you treat me after all I've done for you?"

"What have you done for me?" Rei asked as she struggled to her feet.

"Why, I freed you from the world your beloved Commander had made for you… And then I brought you here and let you live your happy little life with your little boy toy." She smiled predatorily. "But all good things must come to an end, and, for you, this is it."

Lilith pulled her arm back to deliver her coup de grace, only to have Ikari grab it just as she began to fire the intended energy bolt.

Ikari was thrown back several meters, where he landed, unmoving, in a heap.

"What have you done?" Rei yelled as she ran to him.

"He… He got in the way," Lilith said nervously. "You fools! T-This could be the end of everything!"

"Help him!" Rei pleaded.

"There is nothing I can do for him here," Lilith admitted and then disappeared.

--------------------

"My love, my love, wake up!" Rei pleaded as she cradled Ikari's head in her lap.

Clearly in great pain, Ikari slowly opened his eyes. "Rei?"

"Yes, I am here."

Ikari grimaced as he tried, and failed, to rise.

"Stay still, love," Rei said as she tried to keep her growing panic from creeping into her voice.

"He is dying, isn't he?" came a voice from behind her.

Rei turned her head to see a woman with long dark hair coming out of the Woods.

"Do I know you?" Rei asked the somehow familiar stranger as she came up to her.

The woman leaned forward and placed the palm of her hand on Rei's brow.

"R-Reki," Rei whispered. "You are Reki."

"I wish I could say it was good to see you again, Rei," the Guardian said as she knelt down beside Ikari.

"Can you heal him?" Rei asked anxiously.

Reki placed her hand on Ikari's forehead and closed her eyes. "No," she answered after a moment. "The damage to his spirit body is too great… There is no way I can heal him here."

"Then what can we do?" Rei asked as Reki easily and gently lifted Ikari into her arms.

"Take hold of my arm."

Rei did as she was instructed as Reki looked around.

"No one here to see us," Reki whispered. "Here goes."

The trio vanished.

--------------------

"The Temple?" Rei asked as they rematerialized deep in the Woods.

"Yes," Reki answered. "There is only one way to save him and humanity now."

"What are you going to do?" Rei asked as Reki laid Ikari on the podium.

Reki turned to her, the sadness on her face evident. "I have to take him back with me."

"What do you mean?"

"See for yourself," Reki answered as pointed to Ikari's halo.

Rei's shock deepened as she saw Ikari's halo fade and then brighten.

"The only way for a Haibane to leave Glie is through this portal. That is why Lilith tried to draw him here."

"Portal?"

Reki nodded. "It is premature, but, for Ikari, the Day of Flight has come."

Reki placed her hand over Ikari's heart and then raised it, palm up, to the sky. "In the name of our Father," she murmured.

Immediately a bright shaft of light sprang from the plinth, shooting straight up into the clouds.

"No!" Rei cried. "There must be some other way! Do not take him from me!"

"If there was some other way, I would use it."

"Can you bring him back?"

Reki shook her head. "This is a one way trip."

The light brightened and several smaller shafts broke away from it and began to spin around it.

To Reki's surprise Ikari suddenly opened his eyes and lifted his head.

"Rei?"

"Yes, my love?" Rei asked as she came up to the edge of the podium.

"What's happening?"

"The time has come for you to leave Glie."

"Are you coming with me?"

Rei looked to Reki, who shook her head. "Your time for Flying has not yet come."

"But... we belong together," Ikari managed. "We love each other."

At that moment Reki closed her eyes and turned her head as if she were listening to a faint sound.

Seconds later she opened her eyes with a smile. "Permission has been granted. If you want to, you may go with him."

Without hesitation, Rei lept onto the plinth.

The light's intensity grew so sharply even Reki had to shield her face.

And then both the light and they were gone.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And that's THE END.

Just kidding.

Okay, so this wasn't the last chapter. Once again I didn't get as far as I wanted with a chapter. So Chapter 16 will be the last. Honest. No, really.

Besides, given how slowly I've been writing of late, I thought a relatively short chapter with a cliffhanger/mystery ending would be best. Otherwise this chapter might have taken until Xmas.

Of course, the devious part of me really does want to end things right here. After all, where Haibane go on their Day of Flight is unknown.

Some may feel that I skipped too far ahead with this chapter and left out a lot of detail as a result. I sort of feel that way too, but I decided that, in the end, these details would have amounted to filler and, given how long I've already been working on_Rei-Bane_, I really don't want to spend an extra six months on it.

Hopefully real life will allow me more time to finish things up than I've had lately.

_Malach_ is one of the terms used in the Hebrew Bible for an angel. Remember that Reki said she herself is not an angel.

Of course Lilith wanted to get Shinji to the ruined temple the whole time. But where did she want to take him?

* * *


End file.
